A Common Man

in the beginning I was a bonnet
white of lace with blue bow on it
with satin straps around a chin
chubby cheeks and droolly grin

soon I became a pair of shoes
that hopped around like kangaroos
held skinny legs and knobby knees
and wandered mostly where they pleased

around fourteen: a pair of pants
that never learned to skip or dance
and stayed that way until by-and-by
I morphed into a silk necktie

I choked a lot but I didn’t care
a noose that climbed the corporate stair
and used its savvy and its guile
to push in front of rank and file

at some point I was aghast
(after most my life had passed)
an honest mirror that uncovers
who I was as seen by others

now I know just what I am
simple and flawed, a common man