Gray Poem by Richard Betts

Borders and bridges and battleships,
The lies that slip from your slithering lips.

The color that taints your suffering and sorrow.
The smile you steal and the laughter you borrow.

The escape you make from the sadness that seeks you.
The vows you break and the loneliness that meets you.

The love you have that falls broken and unanswered.
The sickness I feel from your small talk and banter.

The daring it takes to face the darkness before dawn.
The pathetic way you use people as pawns.

The strength I feel and the weakness you display,
When you lurk in the shadows and live life in the gray.