Medusa Smile

-Medusa Smile-
by
Keaton Foster



I cannot react
I cannot show
She must never know
With others she plays
In the shadows I wait
She calls a different man father
She calls me just another stranger
Medusa is not her name
Truth be known
I have no idea what her name is
Her mother and I
Were two young fools that
Crashed into each other
One dark and lonely night
When the dawn came
I escaped all responsibility
Never again would I feel her embrace
Never again did I think that I would know
I left it all to fate, both hers and mine
Once she found out she was pregnant
I am sure that she swore a promise to protect
Alone, she went through nine months of heck
I only know of the child
Because of chance circumstance
I came here, to the park
One particular sunny day
Easily feeling out of place
I stood in the shadows
And watched many kids play
Remembering my own better days
And a childhood long since escaped
That is when I saw her face
We are like twins
Separated by a lifetime of mistakes
She has my endless eyes
My crooked smile
My lemon yellow hair
And an ability to be
Oblivious when those who are
Connected to her are quite near
Her smile, her gaze
Easily turns me to stone
Quickly sinking me down
Each time I become heavier
Each time a piece of me dies
Through her expressions of joy
It's not because I wish that such joy was mine
But because I know it can and will never be
Her true happiness is what I now wish
So here I will remain
I will accept what she does to me
The man that she calls father
Is a man that looks as if
He has himself together
Her mom loves him
Easily he reciprocates
My child screams daddy
Quickly he replies
Yes my precious child
Such an appropriate lie
She will never know me
That is the way it must be
Adding me into her life
Would only benefit me
It's best this way
Regardless of how
Looking at her makes me feel
What was done is right
Little child of mine
Medusa smile as much as you wish
Stranger not known that I miss
Each sunny day I am here
In this place watching you play
Regardless of the fact that such
An outward-bound sign of happiness
Crushes me deeper into the depths…


Medusa Smile
Written by Keaton Foster Copyright © 2012.