The Missing Person by Donald Justice

Donald Justice's poem entitled "The Missing Person" gives the reader an image of a person who does not know who they really are. Many people suffer from this lack of knowledge as to who they are and what significance their presence holds in this busy world. What does one do when all they have is themselves and they don't even know who they are? "The Missing Person" explores this dilemma. The poem speaks from deep down into the depths of a persons mind. It conveys a place that many do not wish to talk about, a place where we hold all of our truths, lies, doubts, fears, and much more.

“He has come to report himself(1)' A missing person(2)'. The authorities(3)' Hand him the forms(4).” These first four lines do not actually mean the man is missing because it is quite hard to lose yourself. What the man is saying is he does not know who he really is. He doesn’t mean he does not know his name, age, or where he lives, he means he does not know himself deep down inside. He does not know his true self.

Justice writes “He knows how they have waited(5)' With the learned patience of barbers(6)' In small shops, idle(7)' Stropping their razors(8).” What he means by the authorities “waiting” like barbers is that he has led this long life of being confused about himself and possibly other things too and he has reached a point where he may reach out for help to find himself and fix his confusion. The word patience in the two lines “He knows how they have waited(5)' With the learned patience of barbers(6)” is very important in showing that he has felt this confusion about who he is for a very long time. Someone has to have patience to wait for something, just like barbers who sit “stropping their razors(8)” until their next haircut comes along. Whoever is going to help this man find himself, whether it is someone else or himself, they have waited a long time. This makes the reader believe he may be slightly older, maybe middle aged or older.

The lines “But now that these spaces in his life(9)' Stare up at him blankly(10)' Waiting to be filled in(11)' He does not know how to begin(12)” is about all of the things he really hasn’t experienced or taken part in. The word “blankly(10)” shows that his “spaces in his life(9)” are literally spaces. These spaces are literally “waiting to be filled in(11)” with something that he does in his life that holds some value.

“Afraid that he may not answer(13)' To his description of himself(14)' He asks for a mirror(15)'. They reassure him(16)' That he can be nowhere(17)' But wherever he finds himself(18)' From moment to moment(19)' Which, for the moment, is here(20).” When the man says he is afraid he may not answer to the description of himself(13, 14), he doesn’t mean he can’t describe his physical features, he means he couldn’t describe to someone what kind of person he is personality wise. This is because he does not know what kind of person he is, which is the main dilemma Donald Justice’s poem. When he asks for a mirror(15), he is trying to find out who he is, not what he looks like. Then the authorities tell him that “he can be nowhere(17)' but wherever he finds himself(18)' from moment to moment(19)' which, for the moment, is here(20).” What they mean by this is that he is who he is and that he needs to accept himself. He needs to live in this moment, right now, not in any other time.

“And he might like to believe them(21)' But in the mirror(22)' He sees what is missing(23)'. It is himself(24).” Lines twenty one through twenty four are basically saying that he is analyzing himself and he finds that something in himself is missing.