his keystone

he wanted to spit
the bad taste that lingered
buried beneath sweetness
always stymied
expectations endured
self worth buried
would he surface or fall
too many distractions
queue always full
had it just been a few years
since all had been in place
and which stone had come loose
causing the structure to fall
learning depths unimagined
heavy steps moving sideways
never forward
how would he ever find
a new keystone
would he forever be searching
for cracks
easier to see afar than from within
perhaps spitting out
his damaged breath
would leave room for fresh air
he could climb
from his carefully dug trench
rebuild