He wants to be br a brutal old man, br an aggressive old man, br as dull, as brutal br as the emptiness around him, br br br He doesn’t want compromise, br nor to be ever nice br to anyone. Just mean, br and final in his brutal, br his total, rejection of it all. br br br He tried the sweet, br the gentle, the “oh, br let’s hold hands together” br and it was awful, br dull, brutally inconsequential. br br br Now he’ll stand on br his own dwindling legs. br His arms, his skin, br shrink daily. And br he loves, but hates equally.