• A smile.
    That's what everyone sees when they look at you, right?
    They don't bother to look a little closer,
    To see the tiger stripes on your thighs,
    Or the burning tears behind your bright eyes.
    A smile.
    That's all you really want.
    You need someone to look at you and smile wide.
    Maybe that will get you through the day.
    Maybe that will take away the pain.
    But you know that it will take much more than kindness
    To fix you.
    A smile.
    A smile that fades as soon as you're alone.
    As you curl up into a ball in the safety of your own home.
    Tucked into your own little world.
    Until you can't help yourself anymore,
    And the blades come back out,
    And you add more stripes to your collection.
    A smile.
    Misleads the world.
    Makes them think you're okay.
    Because you know they'd never guess what you do
    Behind closed doors.