The found poem above was taken from pages 3-4 of the short story “Lather and Nothing Else” by Hernando Tellez. It shows the man versus self conflict between the protagonist, also known as the town barber, and the antagonist, Captain Torres. The rising action in this story reveals the internal struggle faced by the barber as he wrestles with his support for a group fighting against the government and his professional job as a barber. In the story, the barber finds himself in an unstable situation when Captain Torres, an enemy officer, enters his barbershop seeking a shave. As the barber lathers the captain’s face, he contemplates the opportunity to take revenge on the man responsible for countless deaths by killing him right away. The internal struggle between his personal beliefs and professional duty forms the gist of the story, as he grapples with the decision of whether to kill Captain Torres or spare his life. The narrative looks deeply into the barber’s inner thoughts and emotions, illustrating the complexity of his choices and the strong effect they could have on how he sees himself and what he feels is right.

If you want to read this amazing short story itself, from what I made my poem, check out here. Or if you want to learn more about the author that wrote this story, check out here.