A Confession (of sorts)

You’d think by now I’d know
better, or maybe not
who can say because even though
I’d like to pretend I’m better
than most that’s clearly
not the case.
If forced to face some basic facts
of our shared existence
it’s true
how most things
that make you smile,
or laugh, or set your temples aflame
with anger
are pretty much the same
as my unspoken list
of dos and don’ts,
likes and dislikes
and all the rest of it.
So let’s put this myth to bed
one final time, shall we,
as I must admit
that I’m just as human as you —
flawed and false and filled
to brim with silly nonsense
we’re always too afraid to confess
to another soul,
even when curtains are drawn
and a holy man waits
just inches behind the screen
taking notes
and passing along our vain apologies
to a father we’ve supposedly
never met.