The Lessers

Sometime between birth and death. Smiles soften like pastels in a mountain mist. Truths harden like unearthed diamonds. Social circles expand and contract with little warning. When loves wither and die. The Lessers and diggers soon arrive. In surprising numbers. The humanity sextant veers off track. We become a lonely black hole. as hope slowly descends a worn rosary. At the old folk's home, they're lined up outside. Looking like baby birds in metal nests Soft white heads mimic spring flowers. A final breath of fresh air. A final glimpse of a world. Then they're wheeled back inside. Into hardened-minimum wage hearts.