On the Surface
On the smooth, calm surface,
it’s tranquility and happiness
An inviting lake from faraway
that promises escape and solace
from harm of the merciless day
The house is warmly comforting
it smells of love and inner peace
The soft flowers on the countertop
mimic the life and beauty within
But that’s only on the surface;
a deceiving glimpse from a distance
If you come closer, you’ll see
that the unrippling lake is the ocean
with its dark depths full of debris
of trashed belongings and broken devotion;
it doesn’t promise certainty or escape-
the only promise is its unknown darkness
For the house, do not mistake
these smells for inner loveliness
It’s only the scented candles
that mask the rotten life within;
they’re a tiny source of light that mingle
with shadows that ultimately win,
because any single puff of negativity
kills the minuscule source of warmth
And for those flowers that thrive,
they are the only things alive
but eventually they, too, soften and wither
along with the loving allusions that
mimic the life and beauty within.