Sunday, August 11, 2024

Man of a Thousand Faces by Oliver Kleyer

He probably walks past you
at least once a day, without
being recognized.

Maybe he’s the janitor,
checking on the latest graffiti,
or the gardner pretending
to water the flowers.

The old man on the bench
throwing at the birds,
it could be him.

On another day, it
might be the waitress,
flirting with a customer
or even the little boy,
scurrying home from school.

Just what his mission is:
Nobody's sure about,
Not even himself.

--

Oliver Kleyer is a teacher and poet from Northern Germany. He teaches German as a Second Language in a refugee camp. He writes in Geman and English. His works have appeared in 101 Words, The Creative Zine and Bubble as well as in anthologies like FromOneLine to another or Dadakuku 1.