when you smell a rat

when you smell a rat,
listen,
listen really hard,
to your nose,
to your ears,
to your eyes,
to your gut,
speaking to you;
they are telling you
a story you must hear,
of the emperor's new clothes.

don't wait
for the rat to die,
for the stench
to get in your way,
rip off the sheers,
stand naked if you must,
and own yourself,
your world.