"How was your day?"

"Okay."

Because "okay" is

Less of a lie

Than "Good" or even

"Fine."

O

K

A

Y.

Each letter is thick,

Another layer between

Me and the world.

Each letter is lonely,

But protective.

A tall, wooden planked fence

To keep out all

Possibility

Of hurt.

And love.

But that's

okay.

Sometimes I paint

over the

Okay Fence.

It's a picture of an

Innocent, happy, fearless, tearless

Girl.

But,

It is only a picture.

People don't seem to notice,

Unless they try to look too close.

Then they see.

The cracks in the paint,

In my mask,

My faltering voice.

But, that is alright.

If they get curious,

If they ask,

I give them the

Truth they want to hear:

"I am Okay."