oh look
a smiley face--
I didn't expect
such blatant cheerfulness
in so gloomy a place

where did it come from?
is it a relic of better times,
of a time when there was
less grief
and people smiled
because they were happy to
be here?
Or did someone
who ached for
something better
idly leave their mark?
if the latter
I would like to
shake this rebel's hand
and ask them
how to survive the madness.

what happened to us
the seemingly solid life we led
melted and blurred
like crayons left
in the heat
I grasp at anything I can
but nothing is solid enough
to pull myself up with
I shall fall off the precipice shortly
so I'm glad
not everyone has been
dragged down yet.