On This Occasion

It was the kind of occasion

that called for handshakes.

The smile you pasted upon

your perfectly powdered,

rouged and lipsticked face,

made me blink in disbelief.

Why would you pretend?

When your soul was melting

and dripping through the gaps

in your tightly woven fingers.

Some things are best left unsaid,

but not this, no, please, not this.

Petals, perfume, claustrophobia,

no space, the elephant in the room

is using up all of the oxygen.

Polite chatter covers the fissures

opening up in the solid ground

beneath our slick stilettoed heels.

You just make it to the exit door,

moments before your slipping mask

says everything that you won't.



I have transferred this over from my Panopticulated blog.
It was written using the prompt words - Blink, Kind, Occasion.

Shared with The Poetry Pantry