A Misty Masquerade

 

Every day she puts on a mask to hide

Inner turmoil complet’ly buried inside.

Her favorite mask had a big ol’ grin

To hide a face full of sadness within.

Her one goal in life – in each day – was to

Make someone smile at least once. Even go

As far as making them laugh – an added

Bonus for her. To make someone feel glad

Is something she knows to do, but it’s hard

To know how to help herself when her heart

Becomes overwhelmed with a gaping hole –

A void that no one can easily fill. So

Many masks to conceal ev’ry hidden tear;

To bottle ev’ry emotion; to pretend fear

Isn’t real, that it’s just a figment of her

Imagination. One mask in particular

Was red. She wore it whenever she felt mad.

It was adorned with rubies – like she had

A crown on her head. Orange flames caressed

The cheek and nose. A tiny blue stripe rested

On the tip of the bottom lip. A trace

Of sorrow and some grief was in that place.

Today she wore her fave, the joker-grinned

Mask that stood in place of her depression.

How funny it was, though, she could find time

To help ev’ryone at the drop of a dime.

With all the smiles she brings – it isn’t enough

To bring others joy, and forget herself.

As she sits on the bus sitting close to

The window, all by her lonesome. Oh so

Quiet, she was, just staring into space

As blurs of green passed at a rapid pace.

Tucking a strand of long brown hair behind

Her ear, she heard all the chatter, inclined

To maybe help with a matter, alas

No one sat next to her. Was it perhaps

That her lips were chapped? How ridiculous!

Absurd! Could it be her hair? Prepost’rous!

None of those things were the reason, she just

Didn’t know how to make friends well, because

She keeps to herself, so no one can harm

Her. But, if someone felt sad, then her arms

Would be op’n to comfort and soothe any kind

Of hurt that destroys their mood. Yet to find

Someone to soothe her growing depression,

There was no one. That’s why her obsession

Is to help others, so they will never

Go without a friend when they are under

The weather. Sighing she averted her eyes

Up ahead where a girl of a small size –

Almost pencil-thin – stepped on. Pale-skin – very ghost

Like, almost transparent – she came down the rows

Of seats until stopping at the empty

One next to the Counselor. She smiles softly.

“May I sit here?” Pale-face asks, hugging her

Sides nervously, seeming somewhat unsure.

The Couns’lor pushed her red glasses up and

Gave a small smile. Pale-face held out a hand

Introducing herself as she sat down.

“My name’s Karleigh,” she said. “I’m new in town.”

Karleigh never made very much eye-contact

Which made the Couns’lor curious; in fact,

It made her concerned – a bad habit

Of hers. Her eyes glanced down to a bracelet

That Karleigh wore, but then her eyes caught sight

Of a couple scabs of red on her white

Pale-skin. Quickly, Karleigh covered her cuts

Under her sleeve. “Please, there’s no need to make a fuss.

It’s nothing that you should worry about.”

For a moment the Couns’lor went without

Speaking. In shock, unsure of what she should

Say. This girl was hurt deep inside, she could

Not help but worry. Letting out a deep,

Heavy sigh, the Couns’lor lowered the sleeve,

Holding the girl’s wrist with care in her hand.

“This isn’t nothing,” said she, “I won’t stand

For that notorious lie. You’re in pain,

Karleigh, dear – nothing you should feel ashamed

Of. Please, tell me what’s wrong. Maybe I can

Help you out?” this is what would happen when

The Couns’lor’s mask came off; revealing her

True self – her true face – that she could never

Remember. Innocent and kind, her smile

Never fading. She waited for awhile

Before Karleigh fin’lly spoke up, her lips

Thin and tight. Her voice shook, coming to grips

With her reality that she kept hidden 

For so long. “There’s so much wrong, not even

 

Joking. I don’t even know anymore.

All the thoughts that I refuse to explore

Have been put away and locked up, the key

Nowhere to be found. Lost in my mem’ry,

like ev’rything else I wish to forget.

To go back to a time where I could let

Myself be free and happy, instead of

Cutting away my sorrows, keeping stuff

Bottled up inside,” she sighed. “It’s like I

Wear a mask every day just to hide

My scars of pain and depression, like my

Sleeves I s’ppose. Most days, I just want to cry.

You see, I really don’t have many friends

And that’s when it gets hard. Having to fend

For myself mostly…” She was trying not

To cry. The Couns’lor could tell Karleigh fought

So hard not to, but the tears did fall, and

The Counselor was there to bring an end

To the girl’s story, holding her close to

Her. “Just cry hon,” she said, “I have been through

The same thing, I know what it means to be

Depressed, sad, disconnected and lonely.

But I have something that you haven’t got.”

“And what is that?” Karleigh asked, her voice soft.

The Couns’lor smiled, and looked her in the eye.

“You’ve got a friend who will be there to dry

Your tears; to comfort you when you’re lonely;

To be there for you with a hug that’s only

Meant for you.” She then whispered in her ear,

“I will never leave. I’ll always be here

For you whenever you need me, Karleigh.”

The girl looked at her, eyes all wide. “Really?”

The Counselor nodded and hugged her close.

“Really, I’m here when you need me the most.”