he pauses warily at the edge of town
waiting ‘til dusk to enter
hoping to blend with the healthy.
He pulls his cloak tighter as he passes,
wishing to hide his brand.
To no avail.
His sullen picture had visited earlier
with the news of his grim deeds
and now his furtive arrival is exposed.
He hears the whispers and
angry muttering behind him
and feels the glares on his back.
The crowd shrinks away before him
and forms again only slowly in his wake,
as if offended by a stench.
Darkness is his only sanctuary
and the pariah moves on noiselessly
seeking a black place
where he can be unseen.