We are such improbable combinations
of characteristics and energies
building ourselves, with our own complications
and drowning ourselves in our own mysteries
but the decorative cracks start to reach deeply
and the artificial shards start to wear
and the ornamental tiles align neatly
so that our subdivisions can compare.
We get out our columned containers
and file rough edges from our souls
we thrust ourselves into retainers
and we carefully plan our molds.
We force ourselves down until we're heart-deep
but that pressure makes diamonds from coal
and when looking at diamonds, coal's earth-cheap
so what is better, the new or the old?