Living on a lighted stage

Approaches the unreal

For those who think and feel

In touch with some reality

Beyond the gilded cage



Cast in this unlikely role

Ill-equipped to act

With insufficient tact

One must put up barriers

To keep oneself intact



Living in the Limelight

The universal dream

For those who wish to seem



Those who wish to be

Must put aside the alienation

Get on with the fascination

The real relation

The underlying theme



Living in a fisheye lens

Caught in the camera eye

I have no heart to lie

I can't pretend a stranger

Is a long-awaited friend



All the world's indeed a stage

And we are merely players

Performers and portrayers

Each another's audience

Outside the gilded cage