Usurpers

Their faces slip.

Slither slick, the mask drops

For just a moment, flicker quick,

A hole torn in the canvas,

An uncarved pumpkin.

Features blurred,

Erased,

Gone.

Then snip-snap, slides back,

Back to normal -

Sticky fingers, guileless smiles,

While secrets lurk beneath lying skin.

Oh, they think I haven’t seen

What they become –

The faceless ones

That play like my children,

Dolls and trains and paper airplanes,

Laughter like before,

Yet changed.

Slither slick, flicker quick, snip-snap

I see through their disguise.

It ends tonight.

The bath runs deep,

And mouthless monsters cannot scream,

Or beg, or plead.

I’ll wash them clean.