Time for reunions

REUNIONS

R  eunions--whether in families or for friends
E  voke ebullient anticipation or edgy dread.
U  nderlying our attendance is a vulnerability
N  atural to those who've grown apart. What if
I   'm too big, too bald, too bold, too shy? Can
O  thers accept what I've become? Alas,
N  o one is responsible for me but me.
S  ympathize, empathize. Life
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[from variations, 1994, c PL]