Some people wear smiles as if life has never weighed them down.
They carry their burdens lightly, so others see only their strength.
Some cloak their courage in a bold aura —
as though no storm could ever touch them,
for they have mastered the art of carrying pain with grace.
Yet behind their laughter and brave facade, strength quietly falters.
They are often the ones who choose silence over burdening others,
carrying sorrow in secret.
They hide their weakness, their struggles, their pain —
because the world sees only the strength they show,
especially when they are the pillars others cling to in times of despair.
If that is so, when may the strong be weak?
When can you show that you, too, feel sadness and exhaustion?
That you, too, need someone to hold onto — someone to lean on?
The world is not used to seeing your sorrow.
Your voice is often dismissed when you speak of your worries.
They laugh instead —
“That’s not like you,” they say, or “You’re being dramatic.”
Never realizing that behind your smile, your heart is quietly breaking.
It is sad that, because of the cheerful or brave mask you wear,
people forget to ask if you are truly okay.
They assume your life is easy, that you have nothing to struggle with,
simply because you seem happy.
Yet sometimes, it is the cheerful ones who feel the deepest sorrow.
They struggle to say they are sad or burdened,
for they do not want to worry those around them.
So they carry all their pain, doubts, and fears alone.
It is hard to always be the one others lean on,
to be known for your positive aura,
because it becomes an unspoken obligation to remain strong and resilient.
No one forbids you from showing weakness,
yet in your mind, you feel you cannot let them down.
There are times when, simply because we are human, we grow weary of all we do.
And this should never be dismissed.
In such moments, we most need someone to talk to… someone to hear our thoughts.
Yet, always thinking of others before yourself,
you withhold your weakness until there is no one left to turn to,
fearing you might burden them with stories they are not used to hearing.
It is easy to wear a happy mask,
especially if opening your heart feels unfamiliar.
It is easier to listen to the stories of others,
easier to give advice to them —
but far harder to give it to yourself.
You can only wish that someone might understand…
that someone might listen… that someone might guide you.
For the hardest truth of all is finding no one there,
when you need to unburden the weight you carry in life. (*^_^)
>>>Happy Mask
>>>(Marvilyn B. Mixto)
I wrote this in Filipino as essay type but I translate it into a lyrical prose-poem. I just want to try to write in English. >>>sassymarvie<<<
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