A bright smile I present to those before me

That beautiful smile that often leaves the pain in my eyes unnoticed

A giggle escapes my lips

And little did my friends know that I am dying within.

 

You see, we live in such a judgemental world

Where our every action is watched and our every word is carefully analyzed

We live in fear, afraid of not being accepted

And while we live in that anticipation, we lose sight of who we are. 

 

We have all become victims of society

Where we dress to impress and strive to be the best

Where popularity is more valuable than our education

And where we come from is more important than our self worth.

 

We are captivated by this behavior because it's pronounced as normal

Living our lives in oblivion

In attempt to receive acceptance from our acquaintances

As we fall deeper in this place we call our home.

 

My smile remains plastered on my face and my feelings permanently concealed

I have no choice but to live along with this simplistic lifestyle

And this mask? It fell into the category of social norms

Now my mask has become transparent to who I am.