The Guardians in the Tavern

The room is full of judges.
They are on the lookout
for regular men, having a
nose for them, wanting their hungers.
.
Guarding the border of the
neutral zone. They smell real men
and no man who isn't
real can pass beyond the border,
without a judge's warrant.
.
Un-smelled men, ruled out
don't go beyond
the border of intimate speech.
"How are you?" "Fine"
"I don't care." Nouns from
tiny lives.