I wake up,
I trudge to the bathroom.
I brush my teeth and take a shower.
I get dressed and go downstairs.
The same bowl of cereal waits in the same seat.
Then I trudge with my bag into the car.
I watch the grey skies go by.
I watch the dull buildings go by.
Too soon, I arrive at school.
But, I have no say in the matter.
So, I grab my bag,
and trudge through the gates as I see other students talking to their friends animatedly.
I trudge to my locker.
There I see my friends.
And, I put the mask back on.
And I grin and laugh as they go about their daily jokes.
I quickly grab my books from my locker and take the time I have before my first class to talk to my friends.
I joke,
I make them laugh,
I grin when they make a joke,
I laugh brightly,
And, just like that,
the mask is on,
porcelain—long since cracked,
and everyone mills about—
unaware
of how dead I am.
Feb 13
Feb 13, 2026 at 3:21 PM UTC
I wake up,
I trudge to the bathroom.
I brush my teeth and take a shower.
I get dressed and go downstairs.
The same bowl of cereal waits in the same seat.
Then I trudge with my bag into the car.
I watch the grey skies go by.
I watch the dull buildings go by.
Too soon, I arrive at school.
But, I have no say in the matter.
So, I grab my bag,
and trudge through the gates as I see other students talking to their friends animatedly.
I trudge to my locker.
There I see my friends.
And, I put the mask back on.
And I grin and laugh as they go about their daily jokes.
I quickly grab my books from my locker and take the time I have before my first class to talk to my friends.
I joke,
I make them laugh,
I grin when they make a joke,
I laugh brightly,
And, just like that,
the mask is on,
porcelain—long since cracked,
and everyone mills about—
unaware
of how dead I am.
