Elevator ascending, adrenaline pumping,
Talking, smirking, smiling, lying,
Sunglasses and sharp suits,
Feigning nothing to lose.
I'd tell you my name, but I can't be certain,
How do you keep on doing this?
A stranger staring, eyes haunting;
Chilling efficiency built into bone.
Sharp coffee brings me back to life,
A smile, fleeting, on your face,
Dear darling, your lipstick's smudged;
The truth's contaminated for us.
The seconds pass, taunting, ticking,
A melancholy clock singing,
Ripping through the rift;
A race we cannot always win.
Petals splayed on the soaked earth,
A plague of the past has the last laugh;
Steel binds our wrists and hearts,
I feared the result from the start.
Was it worth the risk? Was it ever?
Your name carved into glass,
Grappling with reality,
Whilst blocking out the past.
My war is never simple,
Whose coat shall I steal today?
Welcomed back but not returned;
Playing it brave but not unhurt.
One swallow doesn't mean it's summer;
One sorrow doesn't mean it's over,
Some things you can't forget,
Change the mask and pretend instead.