Therapy Bits

Each morning I stitch a smile in place,
a careful mask, a practiced grace.
The mirror believes, the world does too,
but inside I’m breaking, split clean through.

Crowds surround me, yet I stand apart,
a ghost with an echo where there should be a heart.
Laughter feels foreign, heavy, untrue,
like wearing a costume that’s choking me blue.

The weight is relentless, pressing me down,
turning bright moments to shadows that drown.
I’m screaming in silence, but no one can hear,
my voice dissolves in the atmosphere.

Still, I rise, and I dress, and I play my part,
though emptiness chews at the seams of my heart.
A thousand small lies stitched into my skin,
just to keep others from seeing within.

If only the mask could be set aside,
if only someone saw past the disguise.
Perhaps they would know, perhaps they would stay,
and share in the silence that haunts my day.

Fake – Word of the Day Challenge