Behind every smile, a secret lurks,
in every handshake, the shadow works.
I read between lines that they never say,
watching for signs they’ll betray me today.
Sleep with one eye open, on the edge of night,
each whispered word a blade, poised to strike.
Trust no one, their motives always hidden,
in smiles that lie, and eyes that keep secrets forbidden.
I’m counting their words, keeping the score,
in this shadow play, trust is war.
Silence is a canvas, painting fears in my mind,
their quiet is a message, what are they trying to hide?
I sift through their silence, searching for a clue,
every pause a confession, revealing what’s true.
I’ve got files of conversations, a library of deceit,
prepared for the moment, I uncover their conceit.
Paranoia’s grip, tight and suffocating,
in a fortress of doubt, perpetually waiting.
Isolation my shield, suspicion my sword,
guarding against the betrayal I can’t afford.
Betrayal’s not an “if,” it’s a resonant “when,”
in the theater of trust, everyone pretends.
So I watch and I wait, with my back to the wall,
in the kingdom of the paranoid, I rule over all.