Mask

The happiness you see on my face
Is an ill-fitting mask,
A shield to hide behind
So you can’t sense what is on my mind.
I don’t do it by choice.
It’s a necessity for me.
I can’t show you the darkness.
I need help, not a witness.
Turmoil, shame and anguish,
To name but a few
Of my burdens along for this ride.
The broken bits stuffed down inside.
Society requires we show only
The side of our self that keeps us all calm.
But my pain is too much, so I try to cope.
Life is too bleak without a glimmer of hope.
Gaze long at this projection
Of a person you like.
It’s not true. It’s not who I yearn to be.
I’ll fight on-one day you’ll see the real me.

© 2022 Jeff E. Brown. All rights reserved.