Duplicitous Power

Power speaks…

In promises,
golden threads spun from breath,
each word a mirror
reflecting what you want to see—
never what it means.
Truth is a tool,
wielded only when convenient.

Power smiles…

In daylight,
Shakes hands with grace,
Poses with constituent selfies,
But as darkness approaches,
Power hides beneath the overcast,
Whispering to itself
Counting debts it never intends to pay.

Power’s walking partner…

Is the nemesis of precarious footing,
Desperately keeping the weight of fear

at a distance behind
As its hush of compromise,
Hovers as a haunting echo of those who once believed.

Power floats your name…

Then your dreams,
Your price.
Then with patient waiting,
Not to safely hold the tethered floatation,
But how far you’ll struggle to free youself of the bubble
And fully accept his lollypop-promises of hot air.

When duplicitous power fails,
And it always does,
It leaves behind a torrential vortex of make-believe,
Of masks,
Each disguise worn by someone new
Who thinks they are now in control.