Sir Smirkalot

Sir Smirkalot

Yesterday,
while on my weekly
metropolitan peregrinations,
it intruded upon my consciousness
that more than usual
of the denizens
of that civic habitat
were contorting their faces
into the configuration known
to the common parlance
as a "smile".

I, of course,
resisted this particular
and somewhat
infra-dig manifestation
of public display
of emotion,
but nevertheless did
wonder
the motivation for such
outward fascio-muscular manifestations
of internal psychological
disturbance.

It did occur to me ,
however,
that as many of these libertines
were wearing clothing
that transcended
the usual and proper modes
of accoutrement,
that is to say,
they were "in costume",
that it was possible
they felt somewhat uncomfortable
dressed in this unseemly
and attention attracting garb
and that self-consciousness
might have been causation.

I, myself,
fell victim to
this all too human weakness
due to the density
of the heels
of my new shoes
which made a clicking sound
with every step.
I did not,
however
allow myself
to go so far
as to contort my visage
into that unseemly
grimace.

Doug Palmer