"Fine, Thanks"

Never, never, never lose
         Control of your head and
                   Forget the blinding pain
         Of irrational emotion that
From the soul bled.
Bled and dribbled down
         The drain, staining hard,
                   Calcified purity an eerie pink
         Rather than furious red,
Dribbling down, down,
Down the gluttonous drain
         In-between your soaking,
                   Sopping feet. Then sink and slide,
         Slide with your back smearing
Against a sweating wall, until
         In a contaminated pool of
                   Your own stink and brine
You sit, and let restless tiny minions
Assault your contorted face
And scream, scream, scream
         As they blot away those
                   Black badges of courage
         Circling your stinging eyes.
Fold your knees to your
         Chest and shiver, shake
                   Despite the muggy heat
         Stopping the battle with
A turn as you rise to your feet.
Feet unstable and untrue
         As you stumble toward the looking
                   Glass, secretly hoping the fog lasts
                   Long enough to distract your
         Pitiless scrutiny from harsh truth.

The sun rises and all seems
         Brand-new. You greet the
                   World with unabashed cheer,
         Shamelessly flaunting the lie
Everyone likes to hear when
They ask, “Hello. How are you?”