idols and phases

do not envy me, this sham of grandeur

you were right, about my robe of stone,
a concrete prison, which even rain cannot ruffle,
which only lightning can break, to my own ruin

i have a face borrowed from someone,
while you, though anonymous in a flood
of faces, can smile

and if lucky, you might find an answering smile,
in the same flood of anonymous faces,
and then you shall no longer be
nameless, you can flee from the crowd,
like birds that now roost on my shoulders

i shall be happy watching you both fly
into the morning,

then you shall be the ones, whom i will envy

thanks goes to jamie whose poem inspired this one