Anonymity

 Because I do not have my own room, I find myself in too many different places in one night. And now I've grown tired of these places. People come in and out, carrying their bottles of beer or cups of coffee like trophies of independence and freedom to paint the night beautifully, unplanned. And then there are the smiles. Always those nods and smiles that make everyone feel they are not actually hanging from threads and threads of sadness, and - no matter how many stories and silent sympathies are shared - anonymity.

photo by Russ, 'turtled' in drinks

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