The aches and pains began at age two. Doctors said he was growing too fast. No pill slowed him down and no exercise took the tension away. He stood out in crowds. Tired jokes, unworthy of repeating, were thrown at his feet.
By fifteen he was challenging world records, and eventually became one. Pictures were taken as he smiled beside normal men, his arms resting on their heads. He made a living off his deformity.
Romance was unheard of. He marveled at how a man so popular was more likely to retain his virginity than a convicted felon. He crossed continents to meet the world’s tallest woman- only to discover she wasn’t his type.
In elder years, he faked the inability to walk. This gave him the opportunity to sit in a wheelchair, seeing the world as the rest of us do. He met everyone eye to eye, confirming his suspicions:
Things looked better from where he stood.
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Jarod Facknitz is a former music reviewer for the Chicago Acoustic Underground, and has had both poems and short stories published online and in print.
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