Behind every smile,

You know that there is some sadness.

The sadness that we mask

With forced laughter,

With excuses for the tearing eyes.

It is simply much more simple to smile,

Than to explain why you cry,

When it only results in you wanting to die.

Behind every "I'm fine" or "I'm okay"

There is a wound slowly eating us away.

But we know that in a world of ignorance,

What we say will slide by,

And keep us safe from prying minds.

It is easier to stay quiet, and feel alone

Than to take criticism from people who don't know,

The struggles we face day to day,

As our world of color turns grey.

Behind every word

A double edged sword

That cuts at our fragile heart,

And rips at our souls.

Words that will drive us to a point beyond.

That will drive us to starve, cut, or burn

Because we can feel beyond the void

That was left by others of ourselves.

Behind every lie

We know there is truth.

Kept to pursue something we know not,

To protect ourselves from what?

The criticism, and hate.

The broken pieces of our hearts,

And our shattered minds.

Simply a reflection of what we've grown to fear:

The judgement of our peers.

Behind the image we portray

There is a human.

A person who makes mistakes.

A person who is afraid.

A person who was hurt,

And still continues to try.

A person who has fallen beyond what we know,

And lives silent and unnamed.