She told me that happiness is a choice
so I flipped the switch, there was no
surge of electric, no bulb glowing
just that same old familiar feeling

She drew back and slapped my face
told me I never pulled elbow grease
everything I've ever done and said
were moments more than wasted

She painted a picture that looked like me
details vivid in their clarity
spent years working toward finished
but my face had aged since then

And she may be right

My smile may be skewed
just a bit lopsided and devilish
it's the one i wore since birth
when did she finally began to see it

And my eyes may be a bit colorblind
grass is green wherever it grows
but my irises shine like glass
projecting dreams I've always had

And my spine may be crooked
bent in all the wrong places
but it lends a loping to my gait
keeps me from marching that same beat

Facts seem to scream with certainty
that person she saw

that person was never me