Monica Berry, Façade

Façade

Monica Berry

Simple living can be difficult in this city

Common feelings convince us to join the Joneses

Once smiling on our own and thankful for our individuality

We begin to fathom a possible peek at their platter of the shiny and new

Listening for our cue to clamor for their trust

An initial chorus of tender harmony beckons us closer

We want in on the scoop

The embrace of their open arms creates a stanchion

The luster of their lives is better than staying in the shade

They serve and we receive

We want to fit in and emulate

So we weave our independence into their frame of fiction

Seeking shelter

But our clasp is weak

And in the west our true voices are singing

Hoping to be heard

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Monica Berry grew up in Albuquerque. She attended Big Ten schools for college and law school but ended up in Texas. She’s a general counsel who writes in her free time, believes in fairy-tale endings, and eats dessert before dinner whenever possible.