We gather around in a masquerade,

Faces adorned, emotions tucked away.

Playing our roles, acting our parts,

Hiding the fractures within our hearts.

For in this game, the rules are clear,

Reveal nothing, never shed a tear.

Behind closed doors, when no one sees,

We crumble, we break, we fall to our knees.

But when the curtains rise, we put on a show,

So flawless, a facade we bestow.

The applause echoes, the crowd believes,

The charade succeeds, but our hearts still grieve.

For in this game, we lost

We lost ourselves, trapped behind masks.