Stand Still

Alone in the face of adversity,

Friends are not friends in truth,

When mob popularity overrides loyalty

The pressure of peers kills love.

Stand still in the multitudes

One among many, alone in the crowd

Another’s tastes, the others interests

What everyone else says to be true.

The echoes of their laughter

All about you, surrounding

Their faces become masks

Twisting and snarling in delight.

This joke, this song and dance

Self-gratification and hidden shame

Condemnation and leering sneers

Still used and never forgotten

Standing still as their words

Swirling like leaves around you

They cannot harm you nor can they stop you

Think what you want, and just be.