This Suit Of Mine

The building had more hallways than ever to be counted,
Which was good,
I rarely ran into the same person twice,
So the time I spent was only in moments of greeting,
And I beguiled them who I be:
Rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief;
That's how I wove my web of disguise,
For a moment's time I could be anybody -
But never me,
I saved the truth of me for none but me,
But that's a fate too lonely.

Yes, my shirt is ragged and shoes in disrepair,
My holy jeans in tatters - the clothes of despair,
I told this poem to some,
But not to a Certain One,
Journeying through secret passages,
Revealing the thief in me,
Finding the closet of hope,
"Come see the suit of me,"
The linen shimmered in unaccustomed light,
My Visitor smiled and eyes grew bright,
I had taken an awful chance -
My breath both uneasy but finally shown,
But my gentle Visitor,
Left my cover unblown.

A handsome word was spread,
"He has a suit to see!"
I really got to say,
Was not the worst thing happened to me,
I tire of my disguise of rags,
Seeking safety among the paupers -
Of whom nothing is expected,
Because I know where the world is blind,
And how it ignores the divine,
And finds the shallow sublime,
Knowing this place never admits its crime,
I knew I'd never have to admit mine.


But lonely feet can never stand still,
Seek! Seek! Seek!
But too much wandering makes you ill,
I came upon a garden party,
Through the prison of my eyes,
I felt the life within,
Wishing to join in,
But the guards were of official mind,
Pretty policemen in uniforms creased,
With I clad in disdained smudges,
Against reveling partiers in finest finery,
The copper hissed at me,
"Piss off, you! We'll have no soot upon our suits!"

But a voice spoke up to hear,
The Visitor of my hidden closet,
"He has a suit to see!"
So that somebody let me in -
Sometimes it takes only one,
Reluctant, scared, proud, profane -
That's how my suit debuted,
Among the acceptable folk,
Admiring hands lovingly touched the fabric
of my soul,
Sweet carresses brought forth
an involuntary smile,
But these threads feel so ill-fitting,
And crooked as I walked,
"Dammit, that's why I keep it hidden!"
Until finally I balked.

I had a greater hunger
Than those who munched their food,
And came the fatal moment
For my acting rude,
Peeling off my clothing
Until completely nude,
With needs so stiffly showing,
"My God! He's just too crude!"

Sharp dressed men and well-heeled women,
Observed pristine police wrestle me down,
Below their noses,
In jailhouse my suit glows bright orange,
Of course it wasn't of my choosing,
But that happens when you're losing,
The naked man is evil!
Worse than killing souls combined!
He reveals the ultimate crime,
A sneering inmate asked me of my time,
"Life" was the only sentence,
No more this suit of mine.

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