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How fake are the smiles the people wear,
How forced the laughter you hear on the streets,
How haunting the fears no one dares to confess
As we live our lives cowering in the shame of defeat.
How pitiful the cries of a newborn soul,
How heartbreaking the wretchedness of it all,
How painful, how shameful, the lives we now live
When we bury our hearts so we think we won’t fall.
Everyone’s smiling, everyone’s laughing,
Everyone’s acting like the world is alright;
But their eyes reflect sadness like no one should know,
Even though they’ve freely surrendered their sight.
The pain that you feel, the shame, the guilt,
Are impossible to hide, for we already know
That you can’t make your eyes lie to say what you want,
Because they are the windows to your soul.
Everyone knows we’ve not yet found our answer,
But no one will open a mouth to speak;
Who is to say what happens should a man object,
When no one has courage to try it and see?
I’ve never pretended that my world is bright,
Nor turned to my sorrows an eye that is blind.
My eyes and my all reflect the sorrow in my heart,
But my mask still is only one of a different kind.
I can see, oh so clearly, more clearly than most,
Sorrows you have, for mine are strong as well.
And though you try to hide it, I see the pain you hold.
I see the secrets you swear you’ll never tell.
Why are you with me? Why should you care?
I know you’re hurting, and you know it too.
You should care about you, I can handle myself.
But still you just smile that way you always do…
…That comforting way that you always do…
I’m a fool to listen, but my heart says it’s true…
I fear that my faith in you may turn to rue…
…But somehow I don’t care, if I can stay here with you.
Embracing my all, even my fears, my doubts,
Not just the beautiful but the ugliness too,
Though I can’t understand it, it draws me to you,
And though I know it’s foolish, makes me believe that it’s true.
But I won’t let you in, not now, and not ever,
For behind this mask is something not even you could love.
I am afraid that the true me will only hurt you, so much…
You could never forgive me, even I’d bear myself a grudge.
You implore me, for your sake, to just let you see,
But it is for that same sake that I keep up this mask.
Or is it for myself, because I fear you’ll walk away,
I fear you’ll leave me hopeless, helpless, and dashed.
But you don’t know all the things that have been done to me,
And the things I’ve done to others, that I could yet do to you;
You don’t know the broken man behind the silent mask—
And for your sake, I pray that you never do.
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