Projection

when she met him

she was already cracked
already carrying too much silence

alone
aching
trying to survive her own thoughts

he smiled
and it felt like rescue

he hugged
and it felt like shelter

he cared
or at least he performed it well

she trusted him
his words
his promises

she believed him

every sentence he spoke
became scripture

his smile
a miracle

his kisses
oxygen

she did not notice
how easily she handed him divinity

he wore tenderness
like a tailored suit

a rehearsed hero
just for her

and she
already fragile
slipped naturally
into the role of damsel

what she did not see

what she refused to see

was the thin string
looped around his ears

holding everything in place

the smile
the softness
the illusion

it was a mask

and by the time the fabric shifted
by the time she saw the seams

it was too late

she was broken again

and him

he had already replaced the mask

polished it
reshaped it

and added another heart
to the quiet collection he carries