Initial here. Pen your name as they did, as I did.
Now, sit still and stay quiet. Focus on a point if it helps, hands buried in your lap, legs crossed at your ankles, mouth sewn across your lips. Let the plaster steal your skin.
Shhh. Don’t breathe so loud. Inside voices please. Play by the rules. Can’t you see where we are? Our garden of statues deceives you. Our garden of statues has open ears.
Despite me, you speak, you laugh, you sing and pierce their stony skin They hear you. Everyone hears you. Our garden of statues slips away.
Screams smash their balled fists against their teeth, against my teeth, in our toxic wasteland. Are you happy? You’ve ruined it. You’ve ruined me.
Now I hide my face Cowering from thoughts I pretend to know And muttered curses I pretend to hear Why oh why couldn’t you stay your tongue?