Behind the Mask

     From secret thoughts his mind is jarred.

He listens, a bored expression on his face,

And though the insults leave him scared,

No hint of anger, not a trace.

     Indifference is his only mask,

He wears it proud, he wears it well,

To have no feeling, no easy task,

It's stored inside a deep, dark well.

     No one sees his endless pain,

He suffers in a quiet way,

The hurt spreads through him like a stain,

His days are lifeless, loveless, grey.

     And then she came...

With her kind, sweet smile,

And lovely name,

There, they sat a long, long while,

He never felt the same.

     She found beauty everywhere,

She filled his days with endless light,

Her life was filled without a care,

She could not fear the dark, or words that bite,

     All she did was ask,

To look behind the mask,

He tore it off with a grin...

And let her in.