Darkness Falls

Late at night when the sounds of the world quiet,
When the hum of humanity fades
And darkness settles,
Clarity and retrospect
Turn spotlights upon my ghosts.

Behind the mask of the day,
Behind the easy smile
And friendly laugh,
Cold eyes remain,
Guarding wounds
Too old for words.

It is dark
Within the well-trodden hollows of the mind,
Where only I wander.
Deep within a warren of tunnels,
My memories lie buried.

They are all I have,
My compass,
My foundation,
The stones from which
My childhood walls were built.

My outer veneer is smooth,
Cool,
Practised.
My words are well-trained.
A smile conceals
The scars beneath.

So if you choose
To step behind the curtain,
Understand this:
It is not a game.
It is not family entertainment.
This story was written long ago,
Long before the performance began.