Behind the mask

Ashley Petros

The sun rises, accompanying it is a new dawn of hope,
Hope for better days.

Driven by a burning desire to achieve the goals she set for herself,

The young girl sets out to do everything she can.

“Smile” they say and without warning, her lips curve into a smile.

If only they knew the pain behind the effort.

All they can see is the jovial persona that she has managed to portray so articulately over the years.

 

Her naive mind allowed her to dream beyond the sky’s limit.
So a romance began.

Rugs turned into riches, finally hard work had paid off.

Academic excellence had driven away the calamity that had for so long tormented her family.

Breaking free from the clutches of poverty,

She flew high, more like from zero to hero; until reality caught up with her.

Alas, life could never turn into a fairytale for someone like her.

 

The sun sets, nothing has changed, the difficulties are still lurking around,

In the dead of the night.

“The struggle is real,” they say,

But it is deeper than they know.

The hope is fading, but the situation is still as cold and inevitable to every young person like her.

A thousand more dreams are dying with the sunset, each passing day,

Giving up is just not enough anymore.

Change is what she has patiently waiting for but it seems like a distant dream.

 

Dreaming big is only for the rich,

As it is, potential isn’t sufficient anymore.

Suffering at the hands of those who were meant to protect her,

Struggling to make a living

Turning to unscrupulous methods has now become her way of life.

Left with no other choice, because at the end of the day she needs to survive.

For how long does she have to suffer in silence?

 

Behind the mask lies a thousand more dreams that have been destroyed.

Hungry for success but opportunities far beyond reach.

Optimism is no longer a thing for her generation.

It has been going on for years, decades upon decades but all they can do is speak behind closed doors with no one courageous enough to take action.

 

She cries out in pain,

The struggle, familiar with everyone who is bound by it,

Waiting for a dawn that comes with not only hope, but effective change.

What kind of future does she and many others like her have?

It is the fear and darkness that’s hidden behind the mask.

 

Ashley Thomas is a student at First Class High School