Beyond The Mask

Mouth corners raising high,

Reveal her childish grin,

Eyes lock and voice a flutter,

With the greetings she sings.

Briskly walking through the halls,

On missions to-and-fro.

Hands reach up and wave too much,

Elation be her spell;

She spreads to all who meet her,

And who meet her wave as well.

"How do you have so much energy?"

"You are always so happy!"

"Keep up that positivity!"

They say without a clue,

But laughing through her widened lips,

She hides a festering truth.

It's a mask,

A mask,

Her mask they see,

Seen daily yet unfound,

A provocation to those around her,

To at least show her a smile.

Their warm expressions pull her,

From within her twisted swamp;

A swamp of deep confusion,

And torrents of self-doubt.

"These feelings are unjustified!"

"How did I come to this?"

"Crying won't do anything!"

"I want to go to sleep!"

Be it because of frustration,

Loneliness or defeat,

Cracks form upon her fragile mask,

And the cold begins to creep.

These thoughts become miasma,

And from the swamp they leak.

Choking on the poison,

Yet stifling the tears,

Her suppressant right beside her,

A screen and keyboard appears.

Red line flashes vertical,

Black characters follow behind,

Her mind falls to a state of peace,

With each and every line.