Walk a mile

Relentless

                   Your smile hides a quiet desperation,
                   a silent fear you won't admit.
                   Time ticks away, relentlessly,
                   and you smile just a little bit.

                   Just a little bit more.

                   Cramming life and memories into days,
                   stuffing hours full of life and fun,
                   but the tension creeps up on you,
                   and the clock counts down to one.

                   One less day.

                   Panic lends a glitter to your eyes,
                   and substance to the shadows that aren't real.
                   But you'll keep smiling, damn it,
                   won't let anyone see that you feel.

                   You feel fear.


Free verse. Written 8 October 2013.