The unknown

The unknown
They say,
"Be real."
They say,
"Be yourself."

If only they knew…
The real me would shatter the empire my fake smiles have built—
Empire of love.
Empire of friendship.
Empire of belonging.

Beyond this smile
Is my world of terror,
Worse than horror.
Despite it all, I smile
ND b nonchalant.

Sometimes I try to be real,
Just to be me.
Even without grumbling,
I keep stumbling.
I keep fumbling.
I keep crumbling.
But it’s all covered up
With that one smile.
I smile ND b nonchalant.

Some bless,
Some curse.
Some encourage,
Some discourage.
Some embrace,
Some stigmatize.
In all they do,
I still smile ND b nonchalant.

When they see the real you,
They run.
When they see the smiles,
They ask,
"Why are you smiling?"
"You smile too much."

No matter what,
They’ll never be satisfied.
So I rise above their eyes,
I own my quiet rebellion,
And I smile—ND b nonchalant
Always.