they’re a façade,
continuously going through the motions of being that trophy family.
when family is over,
the gears shift and the smiles appear and their mechanical voices drone “i love you.”
prized husband wraps his arms around trophy wife,
he lies through his teeth to those around him.
“i’d give her the universe.”
the gears turn again and she smiles blankly.
everyone smiles.
scholar son is going to Harvard, as it should be.
his record’s clean, unlike his cousin’s,
whose record is filled with arrests for vandalism and his grades aren’t high.
he’s been in the hospital one too many times.
“i wish failure was like scholar son.”
scholar son only laughs and says there’s no way.
the gears shift and his charm increases;
everyone drools over scholar son, they want him as their own.
beauty queen daughter steps down the stairs grabbing everyone’s attention.
she’s the envy of all women for her programming is flawless to them.
less fortunate flood her presence and admiration seeps from their sockets.
a mechanical smile etches it’s way to her carefully structured face,
programming says to muse them.
“no one’s perfect, but everyone’s beautiful in the inside.”
false hope she pours into their souls.
beauty queen daughter has big bank from modeling gigs.
the gears turn and she looks down on inferiors.
the gathering leaves and the programs stay for late dinner.
vanity and superiority is served on a platter;
they leave.
the programming shuts down.
trophy wife is in the living room, killing her lungs with cancer sticks and self deprecation.
how much do face lifts cost? how much do tummy tucks cost? how much does his presence cost?
prized husband is sipping a beer miles away with the 12th woman this week.
“you’re the only woman i love.”
that’s the phrase that gets her love to flare his internal desires.
scholar son is in an alleyway, filling his lungs with hypocrisy.
ignores the calls from the girl who cares for the being that looks just like him who’ll never know his face or touch.
he hopes his cousin is better.
beauty queen daughter is posing as cake face on the corner of the street.
arms are out and exposed so the hungry can help add to the mini needle holes that blanket her arms.
no worry to her, the modeling agency taught her what brands conceal the marks perfectly.
in the morning, they’ll all return to their mechanical home,
rebooting and recharging until they’re ready to open their doors.
because everyone wants to be inside mechanical homes.
