Johnny never wanted to be seen,
just to wear anonymity like cloak.
He yearned so hard, to fit.
Simply craved to blend.
But he was thrust into,
a spotlight of
parental choosing.

He tried to fight it,
but "Shame" and "Disappoint"
were familiar words.
So sinking down,
while shining out,
he plunged headlong.
His life being lived
vicariously by gene-donors.

And so he dropped,
into a soulless void.
His once bright eyes
now dead flecks.
Reflecting aspirations
that were never his.
A false promise
of "Proud".

They found him dead.
A razor-blade,
a bathtub stained red.
Two quick slices,
and "Shame" disappeared.
And control washed him
in waves of heat.
He finally blended in.
One small gravestone,
in a sea, of promise.

01/31/2004

Posted on 01/31/2004
Copyright © 2024 J. P. Davies