Vonnegut

Vonnegut

If people are what they pretend to be

And should therefore be wary in pretence,

Then surely some actors, unwittingly

Acquire a place of fearful permanence.

If via pretence you appear much more

Than was originally intended,

You may find yourself entering a door,

(Condemned by actions miscomprehended),

To a hellish place, and once you’re in there,

The way out requires a different act;

One less rehearsed and requiring more care,

Whilst all the while acknowledging the fact:

Sometimes, it’s too late to strike a new pose,

When the old one’s established; so it goes.