ALWAYS ON

guard.
Studied.
Composed.
Projecting
something
natural,
unforced,
cool.
Never
at ease.
Watched.
Judged.
Criticized.
Commented on.
Playing
to an audience
somewhere
out there
outside,
not
necessarily
alive
either.

Waiting
for the lights
to dim
if not
go out.

Norman Savage
Greenwich Village, 2016