Obit

he was a secretly weepy man
whose life was overall easier than he let on
and at the same time fraught enough
with occasional tension that he allowed it to color
the good times, which were long enough
to make him feel guilty for being in pain.

he lived a long time in one place
and then again in another.  nothing felt like
home at all except once in a while
and he pushed that down right away
because he felt guilty about always feeling alone.
rootless old dog that he was
he kept secrets.  they were like home to him.

he used to say that the typical cynic
is just a clumsy romantic.
he knew the former worked better for him
because the latter needs more tending
and he let things spoil
through inattention all the time.

he worked too hard on easy things.
he never wore his heart on his sleeve
because it was too jumpy to be pinned down.
he slept too little.  he talked too much.
he walked away when it suited him
and he would have called you a sentimental fool
for bothering to call after him.