Trompe l'oeil (poem)

Lies paint a beautiful stranger,

giving character to the mundane.

The deception sticks fast,

stealing moments, stealing heartbeats,

stealing passion from a soul.

Lies tripping over one another,

trying to beat out the last.

Surfacing, in shallow waters,

the truth stuck in the mire.

Tragic distortion,

Dire hypocrisy,

nothing short of fantastic.

Tricking the eyes to fool the heart,

creating an imagery that deafens the senses.

Pretending turns pretentious,

when it no longer can be called a game.

Intimate details award life,

but only when they aren't fake.