They look at him
In horror, disgust.
He doesn’t fit the mold,
Isn’t like them.
Discomfort caused by
Unfamiliarity.
Stultifying averageness,
Stay in the lines.
Lack of internal insight,
Loss of perspective.
Remain the same
At all costs.
Beheading
Extraordinary flowers.
What are you being?
What have you become?
Walking down the street
Looking down,
Not up,
Not around,
Hoping to blend in
With the surroundings,
Pass through unnoticed
So no one can utter
What you already know.
A flaring
Celestial body
Sucking everything in
Toward itself,
Unable to appreciate anything
But its own existence,
Nonreciprocal,
Alone,
Inflated.
Things that seemed so commonplace
Now holding places of distinction
In memory, minor now major,
The passage of time imparting
New depth of color and hue
To what was once easily overlooked,
Were it not too late already.
He’s still exactly
As she remembered him,
Whether that’s a
Disappointment will
Be revealed after
The conversation begins
And the things that
Have never been said
Try to make an appearance.
All I remember is
Being in the room,
Surrounded by people
Who I suspect would
Not show any emotion
Even if the situation
Demanded it, and feeling
Completely alone,
Without even the slightest
Connection to anyone,
A lost child walking
The wrong way against
A crowd, unable to see
Anything but knees,
And wishing I were
Anywhere but there.
Please adhere
To the plan,
Without thinking
Or questioning,
Just do what we
Tell you to do
And keep your
Thoughts to yourself.
At all times,
Think only about
What we tell you
To think,
All free-thinkers
Shall be re-educated
In one of our
Facilities.
As always,
Continue watching
The screen for
Directives.
The saddest of betrayals,
The one who was supposed to
Love her, be there for her
When she was struggling,
Was gone, not in person but
In spirit. He had checked
Out a long time ago, if he
Had ever been there at all.
In the garden,
A small bird
Stops by to say hello.
Breathing more peacefully,
I realize everything
Will be okay.
