the smile on the outside
hides the monster within.
the curl of the lip
mistaken for happiness
but a snarl aimed within.
the bright eyes
glowing with a twinkling mischievousness
wet from crying within.
though the shell looks well
you have not plumbed
the dark depths of that black well.
an actor on a stage
while trapped within this cage
to all but the knowing sage
my mind boils in a red rage.
the warm facade
not so much the distant mask
but rather afraid to ask.
the stumbling before the fall
the knocking knees
the chilling breeze
the cold before the sneeze.
the life lived behind the face
the large emptiness of this space.
the fragile hope
that helps one cope.
just ephemeral death
like one last breath.