the stage

The actors inside the playhouse,

as coifed and ready as they are,

have no script, and no lines,

and so are left mourning the stage.

I have dreams about you, but

the characters you play,

never have a soul.

Smile, they say, be positive, be happy.

I perform as expected,

not for applause, but so that

I can escape, undetected.

Allow me the theatre masks,

they are my only barrier

against the floodlights.