the Other side of the world

The time has come for it to die.
The world has collapsed.
A collapsing world
filled with fear;
filled with pain;
filled with ignorant laughter,
the greatest sin of all,
for it is merely for
the sake of disregarding
the Other side of the world,
the side which people fear,
the side in which people feel pained,
the side which is dying.

But it's at the Other side of the world.

She calls out, but They calm her down.
"Listen to me!
There is fear,
and there is pain,
and there is death!"

"Don't worry, you'll be okay.
You're safe from the fear,
you're safe from the pain,
you're safe from the death.
Worry only about yourself,
and those nearest to you.
Protect yourself and them,
and you'll be okay.
The fear,
and the pain,
and the death-
they are present,
but they're at the Other side of the world."

And she weeps,
and she cries,
and she feigns laughter.
It is heartless laughter,
without a smile,
without feeling,
without hope.

She pretends to go along,
she pretends that she fits in,
and she pretends to laugh.

She is mimicking ignorant laughter,
just like the rest of Them,
just like the rest of Us.

She is the only one who knows.
She knows;
the Other side of the world
is still a side of the world.