• fake smile


    shes afraid
    i can see it in the way she fidgets with her hair
    the way she looks back and forth
    its like a kitten terrified to purr
    around her “friends” shes a complete stranger
    she cant stand them
    yet she thinks shed be nothing without them
    she knows they talk behind her back
    but shes not strong enough to utter a single syllable
    so she wears her fake smile

    shes insecure
    i can see it in the way she moves
    her face is always motionless
    its like theres a brick wall in her nervous system
    i know she hears the voices
    shes wounded from the eyes that haunt her
    but she goes on perfectly normal with life
    because she knows she has to stay alive
    for the day she can find true happiness
    until then she has to live in a cruel world
    so she wears her fake smile

    shes hurt
    i can see it in the way she tries to hide the bruises
    the way she keeps pulling on her clothes
    its like a robber trying to conceal money
    a mom stashing away gummy bears from her kids
    shes trying hard to hold back her tears
    she goes to sleep praying for a better day
    even a brief moment of sunlight
    would be enough to bring her joy
    but she knows the wait will be worth it
    so she wears her fake smile