A familiar pattern embraces me once more.
The clatter of shoes on a concrete universe,
The frustration in the race to be first plain to see.
As the harassed hordes make their way to daily toil.
You don't know me.
Our paths collide in the summer sizzle,
Brains full of caffeine and subservience to The Man.
I notice your incredulous stare, crumpled mouth,
Looking as though you wish to see right through me.
You will never understand the real me.
My smile is an enigma to you,
The joy is very real, despite how it appears,
I've been a poet of eloquence for the last decade,
The stage is like a second home, where my words of power
Gain real empathy and resonance,
Often strutting my stuff with wild, sweaty abandon afterwards,
Been published in magazines and anthologies,
And campaigned for workers' rights against the opposition.
My friends are not only professionals, but also artists,
My lifestyle is the envy of many, invites to all kinds of parties
Not at all uncommon.
This near middle-aged creative activist's got a soul
Filled with imagination and ambition.
My voice has also been put to use in vocal training,
It has a richness that you can't even hope to imagine.
Years of singing instruction have not been in vain.
I've sung on karaoke and also live on stage for real,
I'm also branching out into fiction too.
So when you next see me, think about what's really important.
My true substance is perfectly clear.
Behind this Mona Lisa Smile is a real star.
(c)NZ 2010.
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