Quite a beautiful style, Timothy. You always have swag within your structure. I believe this is about illusion of being happy? I went far by thinking that it's about your school mates?

They are happy now and stuff, but soon life will change? I don't know exactly, but your imagery of 'watches' and 'torches' make me think of the future ahead all of those boys and girls.

Lovely, as always :)

Timothy this poem dazzled me...for some reason i felt like I was at a midnight beach party, however i drifted off with the sand, standing alone in silence...this piece allows you to hallucinate, see images that are not there... but i see them.... ha ha your poems create art in my head and i love it!!

I had the same image come to me as Andrea about some kind of teenagers around a beach bonfire having fun but then things changed and not everything was as it seemed. I like your style of poetry and it always manages to make me think a lot and try to decipher what you are trying to say!

Awesome write
x

The title is really interesting because I have never heard of an illusion being described as pretty therefore I was really intrigued and wanted to read more. Every talented poet tempts with a wonderful title...in my opinion at least.

"perched under a dusty crescent grin."
^I took this as the moon...so clever! Overall, your poem was nicely drizzled with imagery and I had the scene perfectly set in my mind. It was as if I was there frolicking with these people endured in happiness. I liked how each one of your words held a specific purpose and there were no fillers or "cutesy" paint smeared across it. It was compact in diction but ample in meaning. This is where I captured the meaning of the title. Even an illusion can be deemed as pretty.

"not even the pocket watch can liberate
the human torches that stay alight. "
^I can see people, years from now, quoting this and sinking in this phrase in awe. It was so profound and so wonderfully crafted that it is a poem in itself.