Sounds On The Surface
A crystal lake
so calm and inviting,
a hawk flies overhead crying.
Peaceful, tranquil,
picture perfect,
a duck swims
gracefully gliding.
Beneath the surface,
a struggle he is hiding.
Legs thrashing, trying to stay afloat,
alarmed at every touch,
fearful, watchful in his ever present struggle.
A family man, off to work,
meetings and phone calls fill his day.
Punch a clock and a sedan drive home..
Wife, kids, off they go
PTA, putting on a show.
Twelve oclock, kids asleep,
a bottle his constant companion.
Preparing for another day,
A glass crashes to the floor.
Sleeping on the sofa once again,
the alarm clock rings.
Up, up, and away…
A lonely child,
Booksack full
A crowded hallway
A long sleaved shirt
Camoflauged covers
what’s hiding beneath the surface.
On the surface a smile,
grades pressed forward,
priorities--- I must be perfect.
In a room at night
lights dim, stereo up,
the boom boom boom
covers the crying
like the shirt covers the scars.
Broken glass and a single look
-----decisions..
Mother, father, I am not strong
but I am alone.
The sounds on the surface
make life easy
-----for others.
Society should be comfortable,
do they care for the daily struggles
when they only want to hear
the sounds on the surface?
