I wear a smile to hide the storm inside, A mask of peace where my pain resides. They see the light that glows for a while, But none can feel the tears in my smile. My laughter echoes through the crowd, Yet my heart whispers, soft but loud. The world sees joy, they can’t see denial, They never notice the tears in my smile. I walk with grace, though my soul is tired, Dreams once burning, now quietly expired. Hope still lingers — fragile, in exile, It keeps me breathing through tears in my smile. The mirror knows what eyes conceal, A broken heart that time can’t heal. Still, I stand strong, mile after mile, Fighting my battles with tears in my smile.