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