Force A Smile
By Ashley O’Hare
Wagging puppy tails
and
cheerful baby wails
should be more than enough
to keep you from going off the rails.
Is it too hard to smile?
To use those muscles
after they have rested a while?
Like a bird in the meadow,
you hide from the expectant stares
of the people who will never understand
your despair.
So go to the gym
and learn to fake it better.
Deceit is easier
than writing a letter.