Human Relations

How fragile an essence of being
is the human psyche where siblings
so close in childhood find reason in
maturity to erect defences against
continued intimacy, where children
grown to adulthood require the
'reminder' of a commercialized
public occasion to remember their
parents, where spontaneity in close
relationships is carefully metered
the pledge to open and frank
communication gone astray as 
simply too awkward under certain
circumstances best not explored.
Where perfect strangers find it in
them to console and to compliment
when friends, neighbours, intimates
hold their counsel. How strange it is
that upon meeting someone one is
never likely to come across again on
a trip to foreign lands, tongues
can be loosed and entire life stories
come spilling out of a relaxed mind
that ordinarily would never relate
this narrative to companions in trust.