Labels placed, roles assigned,
yet we never spoke in pet names.

I thought our hearts aligned—
they never did.

I loved you like a poet,
you loved me like a boy.

I left too much unsaid,
said too much I shouldn’t have.

We cared—no doubt—
but I loved you with my soul,
while you loved me with your mind.

I swore love could change you,
as if devotion could rewrite a heart.

I willed it into existence,
but love is no wish to be granted.

I turned your every action into poetry,
painting beauty where there was none.

I saw what I longed for,
not what was real.

I loved you.
You loved the idea of me.

They swore they’d care, they swore they’d stay, then loved me most, once I decayed.

just once
I want to be called beautiful
I wont believe you anyways
but i'll want to
just once I want you to tell me i'm worth it
I won't trust you
but i'll try
just once I want you to see me
i'll pretend you weren't looking at me
but i'll know
just once I want to be told i'm perfect
flaws included
but I won't believe you

Was the wrong stage set beneath these feet?
All the unscripted acts, now performed,
but was the entrance mistimed?

Once, a meager mime graced the scene,
expressions neat, steps rehearsed,
a puppet bound to careful strings,
a character fit for all audiences.
Poised, polished, precise—
a show designed to please.

Now, a jekyll jester takes its place,
lips painted with reckless humor,
words spun like juggling pins,
falling in awkward places.

Punchlines miss their mark,
laughter echoes alone.

Missteps once brought fear,
so the scripted cues remained,
routine ensuring a place ahead
before the curtain call.

Now, an offbeat dance unfolds,
improvised lines fill the air,
a breathless chase through scenes
with no clear ending.

Sorrow once hid backstage,
sealed behind a practiced mask,
never seen beneath the paint.

Now, the heart takes center stage,
a tragicomedy in full display,
A jumbled mess of uncertainty,
but the applause never comes.

Joy was the chosen act,
yet joy is met with distance.
The absurd was embraced,
yet absurdity earns no encore.

Laughter rings, the fool plays on—
but the world does not laugh along.

So tell—
is freedom worth the empty seats,
the dance worth the fading light,
or should the mime have remained,
safe in a role that was never real?

I lie
and
I lie
and
I lie

I hide my behavior
to keep you safe.

I keep quiet
not to offend you.

I agree with you
to keep you happy.

I walk on eggshells
for you and
it’s never enough.

I lie
and
I lie
and
I lie

but when the truth
arrives at that
final moment;

jaws will drop
plates will shatter
dogs will growl

and
you’ll be long gone
after seeing what
a ghastly beast
I am

but for now

I lie
and
I lie
and
I lie

to keep us
together.