our parts may lack allegiance to the whole

It's not the cat,
it's the smile that
lasts, toothy
and ruthless.
It's facts like this
we like to resist—
how our parts
may lack allegiance
to the whole;
how the bonds
may be more casual
than we know; how
much of us
might banish
and how well
some separate part
might manage.

[Kay Ryan {1945- } 'Cheshire', from The Best of It]