She scrapes her scalp with the metal teeth
That promised to bring her beauty,
Then destroys
Each ringlet of pulchritude with burning tongues of fakery.
She slaps orange liquid on to her pale face,
Desperately disguising every perfect imperfection.
Darkening her sight and reddening her speech,
She puts up the barriers to prevent
Her emotions from revealing themselves.
Squeezing into pieces of bright cloth that accentuate her figure,
She smiles at her superficial curves.
Staring vainly into the mirror,
She grins.
Because she no longer resembles herself.

We are musical notes
Drifting as waves through the air.
Each of us has a unique rhythm,
A different beat.
We are nothing more than melodies,
Penetrating the ears of those we love.
And your melody is beautiful.
It moves me across the floor
As I dance,
Spinning and pirouetting through voids of happiness.
Your breath is the voice of a bluebird,
Your heart the gentle beating of the drums,
Your ribs the strings of a guitar
And your eyes wilful composers.
You are the song I can't stop singing.

You beg me to reply
But I can't see the keyboard
Through my tears:
They have blurred my vision.
A puddle forms at my desk;
A multitude of guilt and sadness
Flowing endlessly from my pained eyes.
I wish I had the ability to disguise
Myself like others
And pretend that I'm okay-
Smile like I'm fine and
Shrug the pain away.
But I do not have the strength
For you have broken me.
So, for now you'll have to be patient-
Maybe forget about me?

How do I balance
Loving you
And not loving you?
The scales always tip one way
Or the other.
I can't maintain equilibrium.
I'm not even sure if I want to?

I have run out of words.
They no longer flow from my fingertips,
No more do they glint in the light of your sight.
The letters that once formulated on my lips and kissed you
Have gone.
You say words are beautiful
But I have none.
Where does that place my beauty?
Share your letters with me?
And I will create new words for us to be.

I am suffering from it.
Just like you.
Just like everyone else.
It creeps up on us and envelops us,
Turning everything dark.
It is malevolent.
It climbs inside my body,
Grips my heart with its cold fingers.
It destroys me.
Just as it does you.
But it will never be found,
Never be held to account.
Because we are too afraid to expose
It.

How can the beautiful think they are failing?
How can the most wonderful people be so
oblivious to their beauty?
Do they have glasses through which
Only lies can be seen?
Has sadness become a veil
Across their vision,
Obstructing the light of brilliance?
Are their mirrors laced with despair
So that their reflection is disfigured with doubt?
Or does society just fail those who are full of wonder and magic?

You are not failing.
Society is failing you.