It happens frequently.
Understanding arrives quite tardily,
only in the last few days.
I know the beaten dog
who stares back,
but he looks younger
than I know I am.
Through the shattered pieces of broken egos,
through the desolate features
of a man who is a no-good human being,
through the frizzled, frazzled, frayed
and burnt wires of the most broken spirit,
I see the young boy, cute with slight vigor,
minor, snapped twigs, grappling with joy,
but I am ignoring the truth,
playing with the barren wind chimes,
hiding underneath the chaotic, steely fences.
There is no child.
There is an ignoramus,
too stupid to know
how broken he really is.
.
stillfugue 
#1 by Carl D'Agostino on May 17, 2012 - 8:26 pm
“Through the shattered pieces of broken egos,” It talks of ego in the 12-step book, The Big Book. Few people, it seems to me truly understand the word ego. For Freud, one application of the word is to label the personality. It is a non judgmental term. It just indicates the person as he is. The more common use of the word is to describe arrogance . But a third meaning, egocentric means the individual sees himself as the center of the universe and I suppose that is more narcissistic that arrogance. My interpretation of your use of the world is to indicate personality as the closing of the poem indicates something is broken. If it referred to arrogance its demise would be deflation not broken.
#2 by Carl on May 18, 2012 - 10:39 pm
Your comment is an interesting take and you explore the difficulty of using that word. I agree that it is not a good term or a bad one, that we all have an ego. Eastern gurus don’t have an ego because they have mastered the understanding that we are all part of the same ball of energy. I don’t get that, partly because I live in a Western world. I don’t know if deflation is a good thing. I wonder if the best thing to do with the ego is to “right-size” it, or make it agreeable with the rest of the world, and in this way, you are not arrogant, self-centered, narcissistic, and on the other side, you’re not hating your self and not having the fear I consistently suffer from, that of not being good enough.
#3 by Carl D'Agostino on May 19, 2012 - 7:45 am
You understand exactly. Profoundly as well. Naw I ain’t no good at Eastern religion stuff, unattachment and liberation. They have no social humanitarian institutions to care for ones in this life in the now. Too busy looking for pathways to undertake social missions to the needy. I wrote you before re guest posting on my blog for poet/painter Wednesdays. See May 9 and May 16 examples . Perhaps you can do a bio and pic like they did and then poem and send as pdf or jpeg. Pick your poem. I have a respectable following now and want to promote others. I have one for 23rd but need a post for 30th. dagostino07@gmail.com
#4 by Carl D'Agostino on June 6, 2012 - 5:44 am
Kindly consider guest posting. sixthsymph has climbed Everest !
#5 by Carl on June 8, 2012 - 9:36 pm
sixthsymph is a master at life. I have great admiration for the Everest conquest. Thank you for your invitation. I will consider this weekend and I will be in touch. Thanks!
#6 by Carl on July 15, 2012 - 5:59 pm
Thank you – This piece has attracted bad comments and it mismarked some of yours.