Smile- no not like that,
Smile, free and gentle,
Just smile- don’t be so fake
COME ON. SMILE. It’s easy
Why is smiling so hard,
Why can’t I make that face
The one meant to welcome
And warm any given place?
My lips don’t sit right
When I pull them at the corners
Uneven, insincere, maybe I’ll
Pretend to be a famous actor
The far creases of my eyes
Don’t reflect my practiced smile
The weight of mimicking happiness
Has built up expressions of denial
A twinkle, a chuckle, a grin
Repete, unnatural and vague
My worn skin stretched too thin
A twitch, a cackle, a grimace
Did I do it, did I ‘human’ fit in?
Hemlocked Heart 
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