She lives and laughs until she cries

But love-heart shades hide ember eyes

In sunlit selfies, teeth and tan

A garish drink, a well-toned man

But when the sun has turned its back

And shadow sharpens its attack

Her muscle memory kicks in

To lacerate her paper skin

She reads the words that fathers, husbands, sons and brothers said

But there's no knowing what is going on inside another head

She is a ghost, she's an echo

And they can't help if they don't know

But the day is coming

Soon she'll be bare and unknown

On a walk in the park in the dark all alone

Her key's in her bag, her earbuds full blast

To drown out the birds, disposition downcast

And she'll call it bliss

They said beware of strangers, but now that's all we are

Rolling real-time autofiction, reveries with avatars

I'm what I think you think I am

The same voice sings a different song

A hundred billion neurons making it up as they go along

I don't know what you know, I know what I believe

I know what I can give

But I don't know what you receive

The knives are sharpened, pistols drawn

The boys warm up and flex their brawn

Soon hearts are broken, points are scored

It's just some banter when they're bored

They've always been there, they're not new

But now they've got a good venue

Let's hope the day is coming

When you'll be bare and unknown

On a walk in the park in the dark all alone

Your key's in your bag, your earbuds full blast

To drown out the birds, disposition downcast

And you will call it bliss

Cowards under camouflage

Lobbing hate-bombs, hurling jeers

Faceless brutes and bigots

Revealing all their boyhood fears

Hostility, fragility

Rejected, vengeful tattletales

We built another world

But history and hate prevail