A Bright & Clever Hell

The glassy shell of you

black molten basalt

flinty brittle and bright

in the heat of the sun

the glittering armor

the trap of the hypnotic reflection

they gaze in the mirrored you

and believe themselves beautiful.

But every surface has cracks

hairline fractures accumulate

with the years of wear

the shock of dull malice

the erosion of banal greed

and pressure of gnawing demand

to be lovely and be loved.

It’s an intricate map

of disappointments

in the basic goodness of humanity.

And between the fractures

I see the light that pours out

of you.

*listening to ‘Parade’ by Magazine* Title stolen from the lyric.