THEY SAY THINGS THAT MAKE HER LAUGH;
THEY MAKE HER FEEL THINGS.
THEY TELL HER THINGS THAT ARE MAKE-BELIEVE
AND SHE’S ALWAYS WANTED TO BELIEVE THINGS.
THEY SNICKER
AND NIBBLE
AND CHIME;
THEY CHARM AND SHE FOLLOWS, HYPNOTIZED.
THEY ALWAYS TALK UP AND DOWN,
THEY TALK LEFT AND RIGHT,
UNTIL THERE IS NOT RIGHT AND WRONG,
UNTIL SHE CAN NO LONGER WRITE HER WRONG.
IT’S ALL FORGOTTEN IN THE BEAUTIFULLY ARRANGED LETTERS.
THEY NEVER LET HER CATCH HER BREATH,
THERE WAS NEVER TIME TO CONSIDER THE GAPS.
SO THEY MARCH ON, THE FOUR
AND THEY NEVER LOOKED BACK.
SHE MAY HAVE NEVER FELT SO CAUGHT BETWEEN,
OR AT LEAST THAT’S WHAT THEY SAY.