the bearded man takes
a bite of his hot dog.
as the tang of the sauerkraut
reaches his tongue,
he spies a man without a beard
in the mirror directly in front of him.
who is this man without a beard
eating a hot dog?
is he a man without a beard
dreaming of a bearded man
eating a hot dog? or a bearded man
waking up without a beard
eating a hot dog?
he swallows a mass of succulent
meat & bread & sauerkraut––
who cuts the beard & trims the hair
of my eternal self?