The mother stepped out into the light,
Pretending nothing was wrong.
The shouting had been loud,
The beating had been strong.
While the children cried for the fears she tried to hide,
Tears fell behind closed doors and were pushed aside.

She honestly believed she had gotten what she deserved.
A slap or a punch would put her in line.
Although looking back, it was hard remember what went wrong.
Disobedience was always hard to define.
While the children cried for the fears she tried to hide,
Tears fell behind closed doors and were pushed aside.

The fear of mistakes and failure
Were as bad as the punishments themselves.
Her own thoughts and ideas
Never made it off the shelves.
While the children cried for the fears she tried to hide,
Tears fell behind closed doors and were pushed aside.

She thought her false smiles
Were enough to conceal the truth.
Completely unaware that in all actuality,
To see the reality did not take a sleuth.
While the children cried for the fears she tried to hide,
Tears fell behind closed doors and were pushed aside.

Consumed by the need to put on her fake facade,
Those she tried to protect, went unobserved.
She never thought of how they were being effected.
The emotional abuse was not deserved.
She was unaware her children knew her hidden fears,
And had never heard their muffled tears.