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Outlines
I am fascinated by the outline of a thing--
The coast of any country
Affords the opportunity to chart a winding path
From headlands to the sloping sands.
A face in profile reveals its personality,
Like seeing a performer from a backstage angle
Not presented to the public.
An argument is more than can be seen
In the thick of the fray.
By stepping out beyond the border of dissent,
One is able to absorb and hold two points of view
In alternating prominence.
From a distance, the shapes of things display
Worlds of hidden impulse.
What can't be taken in, degree by slow degree,
Still shines in its entirety.
Michael Fraley has had poems appear in Parnassus Literary
Journal, Pegasus, and online in http://www.tmpoetry.com . He isa resident
of San Francisco and a staff member at the University of San Francisco.
Email: Michael Fraley
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