Life is a battle when your world falls apart.
For a young girl, with a heavy heart,
Left feeling alone, no comfort at school.
When she is alone, she takes her mask off.

No comfort at home, tears well in her eyes,
Bullied by everyone, words harsh and cruel,
She must put on her mask as a way to disguise.
So she puts her mask back on.

Hide her feelings in a poem, raw and true,
In a box, she carefully places her rhyme,
Expressing her pain, so she can live through.
She puts her mask back on.

She yearns for understanding, a glimmer of light,
Unable to share, hidden where no one will find.
If only someone could read her words, help her feel right.
Foolish thoughts, she puts her mask back on.

A gentle soul, to discover her plea,
As she pens her soul to paper, all of her sorrow,
As they read her poems maybe they’d see.
But there is no one, so she puts her mask back on.

She feels a pang in her heart, no one knows her pain,
A message of loss, no hope for tomorrow.
Her true self, resolves to stay hidden again.
Empty dreams, she puts her mask back on.

She wishes she could believe she wasn’t alone in strife,
Maybe she could hold her head up high,
She wishes love and care surrounded her life.
But no one can see her with her mask on.

If only she had someone loving and kind,
To help her face these storms, resilience in her eye.
To help her leave all of her sorrows behind.
Until then, she puts her mask back on.

By Salie Davis