Cheerleader Mask

I play it sweet, I play it loud,

The girl who lifts a drowning crowd.

Laugh too much, say all the right things,

While hiding pain that silence brings.

They see the shine, the pretty gloss,

But not the nights I count my loss.

I fake the sparkle, tone it down,

And wear my tears beneath a crown.

They love the girl who hides her ache,

The one who bends but doesn’t break.

So I pretend I’m feeling fine,

And dance beneath a thinning line.

My joy’s a veil, my pain’s the core

A silent war behind the roar.

I laugh too loud to drown the ache,

And smile like nothing’s ever fake.

I lift them up, I play it bright,

But break in pieces every night.

This painted grin, this perfect show

Hides all the things they’ll never know.

I flip my hair, rehearse the role,

Say “I’m okay” while losing soul.

No one sees the weight I wear

'Cause happy girls get all the air.

They want the light, not what is real,

Not broken thoughts I try to heal.

So I perform, I strike a pose,

While drowning where nobody goes.

I raise my voice so they won’t hear

The quiet screams beneath the cheer.

If I’m the joke, then they won’t see

The girl unraveling in me.

My joy’s a veil, my pain’s the core

For hearts that ache but still adore.

Who play it sweet to hide the strain,

And hold back tears they can’t explain.

I cheer them on, I keep the pace

But who will see my fading face?

This perfect show, this glossy track

Is just the mask I can't unpack.

I’m more than laughs and painted light,

More than the girl who gets it right.

But no one stays to see the cost,

They love the mask, not what it’s lost.

My joy’s a veil, my pain’s the core

Of all the hearts that can’t take more.

Of every smile worn to survive,

Of every soul still half alive.

Don’t call me fake, don’t say I’m tough

I’ve just been hiding long enough.

This cheer I wear, this crystal glass

Will one day shatter when I pass.