Behind this smile I am crying,
thick, hot tears that stream directly to my heart.
This smile is forever plastered across my face,
It means I'm happy, sad, or angry.
The laugh that accompanies this smile is real,
real, in the sense it belongs with the smile.
No, I don’t think you're funny,
yet the laugh comes all the same.
I’m a soldier, I endure,
I do what I must to get through the day.
This smiles reflects this,
pain, joy, sorrow all in one facial expression.
I understand, I comprehend,
I’ve analyzed the situation.
What do you mean, what are you feeling,
don’t you see this smile?
Behind this smile is everything you really
don't want me to say aloud.
You’re afraid how it would sound.
I'm afraid of who it would hurt.
So all that stays masked,
behind this smile as it has always been,
knowing it probably will always be.
But, then again, this is why I smile.