Seen And Not Seen

He would see faces in movies

On TV, in magazines, and in books

He thought that some of these faces might be right for him

And through the years, by keeping an ideal facial structure fixed in his mind

Or somewhere in the back of his mind

That he might, by force of will

Cause his face to encroach goals of his ideal

The change would be very subtle

It might take ten years or so

Gradually, his face would change its shape

Immortal nose, wider

Thinner lips, beady eyes

A larger forehead

He imagined that this was an ability he shared with most other people

They had also molded their faces according to some idea

Maybe they imagined their new face would better suit their personality

Or maybe they imagined that their new personality would be forced

To change to fit the new appearance

This is why first impressions are often correct

Although some people might have made mistakes

They have arrived at an appearance that bears no relationship to them

They may have picked an ideal appearance

Based on some childish whim

Or momentary impulse

Some have gotten halfway there, and then changed their minds

He wonders if he too might have made a similar mistake