You gather close enough to touch
But never close enough to show
You speak in practiced sentences
And let the vital parts go
You trade your name for safer shapes
Adjust the angles of your face
You call it honesty in light
But keep the truth out of the frame
You stay near.
You stay covered.
You hide.
Inside.
You stand beside
And still divide.
You hide.
Inside.
You laugh before the silence grows
You answer what you’re asked to show
You share the surface of your life
And bury what you cannot hold
Some of you withdraw completely
Fold into the quiet room
Better unseen than misread
Better distant than consumed
You stay close.
You stay hidden.
You hide.
Inside.
You lock the door
While standing wide.
You hide.
Inside.
Seen enough.
Known by none.
Crowded rooms.
No one home.
You hide.
Inside.
Run.
Run, Hide!
Change your shape.
Erase your trace.
I still see you!