It’s forcing a smile,

When all you want to do is cry.

Or laughing while you know

You are struggling.

You cannot find solace in

Anything but the pain.

You can never stop thinking about

The sting of the show.

Trying to fake the happiness,

Day in and day out.

The one thing you hate is the mask you cannot remove

Until you are alone.

Trying to keep the cover up while

Portraying pristine euphoria.

As good as it seems,

The demons are a constant reminder it’s not.

“Go with the flow,

Stay on your medication,

And plaster that smile across your face.”