A Smile Like Armor

I wear a smile, sharp and bright,

A fragile shield, a borrowed light.

It holds me up, it keeps me strong,

A mask I’ve worn for far too long.

They see the curve,

they miss the cracks,

No one stops, no one asks.

A painted sun on a stormy sky,

A silent plea behind my eyes.

It hides the weight, it tames the ache,

A quiet lie for others' sake.

But even glass can gleam so bold,

Before it shatters, hard and cold.

Yet still, I smile—I always will,

A warrior bent, but fighting still.

For if my heart must break, conceal,

Then let my smile be sword and steel.