Dangerous Illustrations

She was a rumour brought to life
in that the world finally made sense.
The lies she had told swelled with truth
and a new hope permeated them.

The boys she had never actually met
but liked to promise just that to
could only laugh at everything,
almost everything, come to light.

She had arrived in their lives as
a hopeful reminder of past contentment.
Her distance, a bittersweet play on perspective:
"This is what happiness would look like,
if it was very far away."

Despite this, her contagious phraseology
and the dangerous illustrations she drew
played on desire and tempted them to believe
she was something she did not know how to be.

Although not without blame, in her way
she was innocent, not understanding
the true length of her reach.
She needed them to invest in the deceit.

Lie to me, she would whisper.
Lie to me like it is the only real truth.
Lie to me, she seemed to plead.
Lie to me like it is the only real truth
there has ever been.