You think you know a person,
but you dont.
Inside their hearts
lay the sticks and stones
that will break your bones,
the dirt and knives
insects and grime
that coats your lives
in lies.
They will move their tongues
and you will believe,
and they will make you believe,
and you will kiss their mouths
but they deceive.

Then they will come to you,
with their hands outstretched
and beg forgive, forgive,
and you think you know your heart,
but you dont.
Inside your heart, where there was warmth
there is suddenly ice,
and suddenly the smile you paste on your face
feels ragged and stretched,
and you hate your heart for wanting to reach out,
still,
because you know there is nothing to reach out to.

Embedded in the ice,
he has put one of his little insects,
and it scratches away
and flutters its wings,
and you cant remove it,
no matter what his tongue says,
you cant dig it out,
you cant gouge it out,
you cant drown it out,
it just lives there
with its vicious jointed legs
and eats at you.

03/25/2009

Posted on 03/25/2009
Copyright © 2026 Vikki Owens