In merry jest, I wear a painted smile,
Though in my heart, the shadows gently creep,
For all around, they expect all the while,
A jovial spirit, not prone to weep.
I play the role, the jester in the crowd,
With laughter’s mask, I hide my inner strife,
To meet their hopes, I speak, I laugh so loud,
Yet deep within, I’m fighting for my life.
The world expects my joy to ever flow,
Yet beneath this mask, a different me,
A soul that longs for solace, not the show,
For once to shed this weight, to simply be.
Oh, let me cast this mask and find release,
And find courage to bare my heart’s lost peace.
Hayden Coombs 