Expired

by Adrian · 14/03/2026
Published 14/03/2026 17:41

The guard looks at the plastic card,

then up at my eyes, then back down.

The man in the photo from five years ago

has a jaw that isn't a fist.


He looks like he might have a question.

I look like I’ve already been told no.

The lamination is peeling at the corner,

trapping a speck of black grit

against my younger, flatter cheek.

#aging #bureaucracy #identity #mortality #self reflection

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