I have friends in High Places,
good friends
tripping *****
floating atop mushroom clouds of ecstasy
Naked,
in otherworldly dimensions
pioneering the mental landscape,
explorers of the mind and soul
Bodies,
breaking free of the Iron Cage
living to Love
working only to get by
getting high
to escape
to a place
where mere existence
makes sense.

Pulling meaning from existence,
Casting words and spelling stories
Onto a blank page.

Resurrecting feelings and memories,
Fleeting,
Freezing time and space just to capture a moment.

the worst pain is
the day after.
when you wake up
to relive
the feeling
over again.

I never
took you
for a fool.

Except for
when we were
fooling around
the backseat
of your car.

You had me fooled
with your wide-eyed,
youthful glow.

I thought
I tasted love
on your lips.

But you were
just looking
for somewhere
to park
your car
for the night.

I guess,
I was the fool.

No one wants to hear about it.
People only love you when you’re happy,
So stuff it away and put on a smile.

Do your job and don’t think about it.
Don’t acknowledge it.
Don’t write about it.

If you admit to it,
People will think there’s something wrong with you.
Your parents will think there’s something wrong with you.

And your friends won’t know what to think of you,
Because you used to be, “so happy.”
You used to be “fun,”

But lately,
You’ve been smiling a lot less,
And it’s really bringing down the vibe.

Maybe you should talk to a therapist,
Because it’s their job to listen,
Not mine.

And everything you’ve been writing is a little depressing,
So could you stop?
It’s making your parents uncomfortable.

The least you could do is,
Smile.

So people think you’re okay,
So you can do your job, and
So you don’t ruin anyone else's day.

Smile,
So you seem approachable.

Smile,
So your friends are comfortable.

Just ******* smile.