Take off that mask. I know it’s you.
Those wrinkles, sunken chin,
And goggled eyes can’t quite disguise
Your wry familiar grin.

This is our mutual Halloween.
As though we mean to scare,
We face each other through a screen
Of fake teeth, whitened hair.

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This article originally appeared in The New Criterion, Volume 25 Number 1, on page 71
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https://newcriterion.com/issues/2006/9/meeting-a-friend-again-after-thirty-years