after all of it
what have you gained?
it’s a zero sum game
where we win one frame,
lose the next, yet
reality is shameful
in this empty world
the voices have silenced
mostly, the interested parties
have scattered to other caves
based what you stand for,
and who you are
so tell me
who you are
detailing who
broke your heart
in two,
so tell me
who you are
when the light falls
hollow is all we know
now, so tell me
the truth, if you can,
even if it was never
part of the master plan,
for free is what I need
to be me
so tell me
beneath manicured exteriors
and protective threads
you’re just a nucleus of fraying layers
of tissue both alive and dead
so tell the truth and blend it well
or recess from view, and fade further
into your silent hell
why do you
need the voices
when the standard
is loneliness
and abandon
ment,
so tell me
who you are
detailing who
broke your heart
in two,
so tell me
who you are
when the light falls
hollow is all we know
now, so tell me
the truth, if you can,
even if it was never
part of the master plan,
for free is what I need
to be me
so tell me