The Flat Look

The words were edged, a cutting shard,

I threw them out, without regard.

A bitter truth, I couldn't hold,

a story that had to be told.

It landed hard, a window smashed,

the silence then, it truly clashed

with all the noise before, and how

his face just flattened, even now

I see it clear, a sudden shock,

like every feeling hit a rock.

His eyes went dead, just two dark pools,

reflecting nothing, breaking rules

of human feeling. He didn't shout,

he just went out.

And later, I could taste the shame,

but still, the truth kept its claim.

It burned, a metallic, awful tang,

the sound of a bell that rang,

and rang, inside my head.

The quiet of his eyes, instead.