These plastic halos
They seem so out of place
Behind the mask
lurks a scarred and fragile face
We lie so spiritually
Familiar smiles
displayed
Misleading masquerade
We hide our pain
We try to laugh
Fools to think our tears
Would provoke holy wrath
In stone-gray silence
We do not face our fears
We bite our lips
And we press on with feeble cheer
With hearts of sadness
We say our thankful prayers
Refusing comfort unawares
We hide our pain
We try to laugh
Fools to think our tears
Would provoke holy wrath
We learn the protocol
We bare our souls to none
We praise our peers
For the optimism shown
"Brave men don't cry", we say
As we watch the world turn to dust
The tears of God fall for us