Play Pretend

How do people not see
All the fake smiles?

How do they not hear
The fake laughter?

Why don't they realize how many of us
Play pretend every day of our lives?

It can't be possible that people can't see
The girl who always wears long sleeves
To hide the old scars and fresh cuts

Or the boy who shows up with a black eye
And mumbles something about baseball
When he hates sports

Or the little girl with hand shaped bruises
And a dark and sad wisdom
In eyes that are too young to have to know that pain

Every one says they didn't know
That there were no signs
But I promise you, they were there
You just didn't want to see them

So until you all stop being blind
All of us will just
Play pretend.