Unaware
of his own suffering,
covering it
with a sticky shellac
of bravado,
he formed a crust
that buffered him from others
as well as himself,
a mantle
of insulating indifference.

Unaware
of his own suffering,
unable to touch it,
to heal it,
it festered,
until finally,
sickened by the infection,
he could no longer pretend
he was above such hurt.

He collapsed with the weight of it.

And now,
aware of his own suffering,
mindful
of what was
at that moment,
he faced a choice:
die beneath it
or embrace it with soft eyes.

By grace,
he chose the latter.

Are you aware
of your own suffering?

Text and
image © 2013 by Dirk deVries. All rights reserved.