Pretend

Each day I don a mask that hides the scars, In school’s bright halls, beneath the same old stars. A painted smile conceals a weary soul, Pretending all is well while shadows take their toll. Underneath the laughter and the friendly cheers, Lies a silent battle, a world of hidden fears. Eyes that once had spark now dimmed with endless night, Each word I speak, each smile, a desperate fight. In classrooms filled with chatter, I play my role, A careful act to mask the pain within my soul. Teachers’ questions come, and I respond with grace, Hiding all the bruises, veiling every trace. When lunch bells ring and friends all gather near, I join the crowd, though loneliness is near. Each casual comment, each casual cheer, A masquerade to hide what they can’t hear. At day’s end, when the bell’s final toll is cast, I shed my mask, but the shadows linger fast. In the quiet solitude of my own space, The weight of silence falls, and tears replace. Yet, I rise again with morning’s first light, To face the world and play the part that’s right. In this role of normalcy, I must pretend, Until the day my silent suffering finds an end.