A House of Tolerance

author's note:

I'd like to thank those who have been tolerant of my menagerie...


A HOUSE OF TOLERANCE

Last night, while dreaming of
my solitary house
I opened a broom closet
and a bundled body fell out...

one more mystery character to unwrap--
another

in a wide cast
that includes both commanders
and slaves,
mountebanks as well as monks--
a riotous mix.

So please excuse me if I hesitate
to invite you in--
though I may seem quite quiet
I'm actually a carousel
of commotion.

Yes, at first, you might enjoy
the entertainment
but in time, a circus
can become very overbearing--

I know because I live with me.

A struggle
but with its benefits:
by learning to be
more tolerant of myself
I’ve become
more tolerant of others.

Maybe you want to enter
this solitary house
because you're also trying to learn
tolerance...

well, in that case, okay.

Anyway
I think I'm tolerant enough now
to handle our inevitable
fits of exasperation.

© 2018, Michael R. Patton
what I learned while alone: a poetry ebook