Switch On
she wears it like an accessory
a scarf or hat
or her smile
switch on to impress
switch off when no one is looking
depending on the narrative
she wants to create
look at me
I’m a good Christian she says
for the moment anyway
in five minutes or an hour
who knows
the smile hides her fear
she’s no saint
that’s what scares her
she doesn’t have goodness in her
like other people
but she can pretend
she’s really good at pretend
—DL Madsen
