16 shadows – forbearance

 his mother learned humility
 from being hampered by disease
 and circumstance from realizing
 most of her long-cherished dreams

 but he grew up in arrogance,
 and had to learn, to his chagrin.
 what failure "really meant" to know
 just what he was, what he had been

 but with the bitter drink he gained
 a kind of golden drinking cup:
 he keeps forbearance in the spot
(the empty spot) that vanity

 took up