i wear a smile on my face,

flowers in my hair

and my heart on my sleeve

i give myself to tomorrow

to the ancient gods

and to my daily commute

i once asked my manager

how he percieves me

'happy.'

but far too often,

i am consumed with sadness

and a desire to stay in bed

so to hear that 'happy'

is how one describes me

shows me how far i've come

the broken, bitter girl

that i know i used to be

has slowly been replaced

what didn't kill me

indeed made me stronger

it only took more time than expected

so i am who i am

flawed and flawless

and a beacon of hope.