On the outside

she looks well put together

her lips always rouged

her hair usually brushed

in a push-up bra and high-heels

with a skirt to emphasize her best feature

she can pass as a knock-out

which is amusing

since inside

she’s torn to pieces

and the sham of seeming complete

is another mask, on another mask

just like wearing a wig, if you are going bald

just like heals, to disguise short stature

just like bras, hiding a multitude of years

pulling you down

pulling you down

pulling you down

she woudn’t mind

knowing how much

a fresh key would cost

to wind her up

back to some semblance of …

and when they say she’s beautiful

ask her; why that doesn’t make her happy

she’s lost for words

there’s no way to express

how flattery is no compensation

how seeing her careful pretense

only reinforces the hostage