Hand-Me-Downs

Hand-Me-Downs

 

It’s a sweetly delicate hand-me-down lie,
and you hand it on as if
you no longer remember its nature.

 

You’re far beyond using lies to cover the truth.

 

The spider webbings of a genius,
you use truth to cover the lies.

 

And you cover me too with a flourish and an adieu
as the lies break skin, and you break me.

 

Trickles of truths never told spill down
my skin in a fascinating new web
you have never seen before.

 

Enthralled, you do it again and again,
watching the webs cross me as I watch
you.

 

With my skin as inspiration,
you keep coming back, searching
for a new pattern everytime,
knowing you won’t stop so long as there is one.

 

What you don’t know is that there is
a never ending supply of ripe webs
for you to feast upon,
so when you turn your back for
just a moment,
I run.