Nobody knows

Nobody knows

What lies behind

Facade and evasion

Lipstick and paint

Strip light Vegas

Bigging it up

Hiding the grime

Keeping up appearances

Building a defence

Against the cut and thrust.

Sitting as still

As a rock

Impassive

Statuesque

Nursing his nerves.

A crystal cut

Single malt

Disguise.

Ice cube

Monsters in his head

Under the bed

In the cupboard

Fur balls coughed up

Sabre-toothed kittens.

Dissonance

Is deceit

Calm waters

Wading in the deep

Catastrophising

Is a mug's game

Beneath the surface

It is turmoil

Blood

Roiling

Self-contained

Vacuum packed

Pressurised

Viscera

Churning over

And over

Gasping for breath

Nothing is ever

As straightforward

As it seems

To the naked eye

Stupid is

As stupid does

For believing it is

Justified.