I met a man today
I remembered him from old
he tells me he is manic
as he shakes
my hand
I feel his grip,
its strong, masculine and firm
I stood there shaking too
I remembered
his pain distinctly
the nights when cigarettes
burned down in his fingers.
he knew about it,
but he did not respond to it.
a kind of chaos set in
as I looked around
I was terrified,
that this person who had come this far
was about to expire.
Then he says to me again
“I’m manic, but manics tell the truth too”
curious as to what was coming
relieved by his smile
I nodded
I embraced him
the man is courageous
being himself
true to himself
this man is a friend of mine.
