merry

 merry

they teach us early on 

"life is but a dream"

promise us a "merry, merry, merry"

down this never-ending stream

you'll notice absent are the lessons

where "merry" isn't what it seems

chainlinks and lace indistinguishable; 

senses held together by both.

what little energy leftover 

wasted on a scream that they choke back

to add to a collection 

in a library we cannot see

centered in the great maze of ever-moving

our muscles feel less our own

after every tired pursuit 

met with dead ends and the loudest dead silence 

we're left in the static

while they change the channels