Rites

In large banquet halls, in classrooms,
in swimming pools,  formality anticipated
defined achievements, of age,
of work, of study,

relationships of choice,
of hearth, of kin, of kith, of love,

large small, smiles, tears, heartaches,
joyous outburst, naked beauty, celebrations
noticed by conscious observation,

coloured outside the lines.

gkn April 2018