I am empty

Underneath

Skin

And bones

And blood

And muscle

I am empty

Underneath

Thought

And feeling

And emotion

And perception

I am empty

Underneath

Everything

I am empty

And do not exist

If what they say

Is true.

I am empty

By order

Of a beautiful lie

I must either believe

I am empty

Or disobey

And surely die

But I have seen others

Who are empty

As I may become

And their emptiness

Is my fear

And so

I shall disobey

And bear the consequence

Of not being empty

In a world

Held together by

Beautiful lies