I met a friendly man today

“Hey! Whatcha workin on?” He said.

“Oh, just work.”

He beamed at me, a stale glaze dampening his eyes.

“Just work? You don’t enjoy it?” He smiled at me. 

I looked up from my work once more.

Mouth puttied into place.

Wax eyes.

“Just work.” I replied. 

He told me to “cheer up!” 

But I wasn’t sad.

I tried to keep my gaze steady
to keep from going sour
glazed over and false happy.

His **** eyes.

Were sadder than hell.


I wondered what my eyes looked like to him
and if this is what it meant to be human.