In The Other Room

 

In the other room,

I hear the joy in the children’s laughter,

and the stars shine down on me,

accusing me of wrongs I never knew

 

In the other room

I hear the creak from above the rafter

and I know that it has to be;

there is nothing I can do.

 

In the other room,

I sense the tortured faces

and the hardened hearts

behind those make-believe children’s smiles

 

And in this room,

I am the one who knows my guilt

and the children play and the stars shine

and in the end, smiles are only smiles.