Poem: Behind the Curtain

Behind the Curtain

You see her everyday,

She looks energetic, loud, and happy.

She’s the kind of girl that always smiles.

You don’t actually know what she talks about,

But she glows.

There’s a quality;

You don’t quite know what it is.

Behind what she shows,

She screams silent cries for help.

Saying the world is overwhelming is an understatement.

It consumes her mind and soul.

At home she sits on her bed with her hands clenching her hair at the roots.

She doesn’t pull, just sits there frustrated and confused.

The future is coming, but how fast?

“Do I have time?”

“Am I good enough?”

“Will I make it?”

Thoughts spiral uncontrollably around her head.

Her tears water the seeds of her exhaustion.

And she drifts off to a place of warmth and comfort.

Sleep is the place of peace and relief.

The noise is hushed to a quiet, trickling river.

She awakes somewhat lightened.

Remembering what the new day will bring,

She goes numb. She slowly drags herself out of bed.

As soon as she steps out the door,

The show begins and the chaos returns.

In the back of her mind,

The thoughts are stored in a small, cracked, mason jar,

To be forgotten.

For now.