Things are rough.
Life doesn't always go my way.
So I hide behind my smile.
I don't want them to see
the tears.
My pillow is wet,
but only in the dark
of night.
I put on my make-up,
I dress up, as usual.
And I hide behind my smile.
No one ever asks
what's wrong.
I don't get
sympathetic glances.
I stand strong.
I am strong.
At least to them.
But really I just hide behind my smile.
When my life is
particularly rough,
I laugh louder.
When tears surface
I can hide them with
my excuse:
I laughed so hard
I cried.
Actually, I hide behind my smile.
They will never know,
never think to ask.
I am the happy one.
They even tease me about it,
how I always sit there
with a smile.
But if you look really close,
past my white teeth,
past my upturned lips,
past my wrinkled nose,
you will see.
My eyes are sad.
They do not light up.
I hide behind my smile.