Shallow

You see me every day, we pass in the halls
Collaborate on projects and sometimes, more.
You ask me questions but never hear the words,
You never stay long enough to care what they’re for.

You think you know me,
Like small talk means caring
But you’re unaware
Of all I’m bearing.
Behind my smile,
Behind one-word replies,
I’m holding back whole skies.


You think you know me
But your view is unclear,
I’m not a picture, flat and thin,
Not some echo you hear.
Every time I say, “I’m fine,”
To your kindness on repeat,
I retreat into the silence,
Of a world beneath my feet.


You think you know me,
But you can’t begin to fathom
The vastness I construct
While you skim the surface pattern.
I’m a galaxy unfolding
And you only see the star—
Just the flicker, from a distance,
Of who I really are.


You walk beside me, never stepping in
Measuring worth by mirrors thin
Waiting for cracks, waiting for decline
But your silence says more than mine

Shallow people in a shallow world,
Passing by with hollow hellos.
Never reaching the richness inside,
It’s their loss, but still—who knows?
These are the ones who measure and compare,
Who wait for cracks, then stare.
They smile, but behind your back,
They place their silent bets you’ll crack.

Grunge Rock • Heavy Roast • Electric-Guitar Sarcasm female voice