The Ruse

She’s beauty, style, poise and grace,
At least she appears to be.
But no one knows the girl who hides
Behind the face they see.

Her self-esteem is all but gone,
Of her ego there’s barely a trace.
There’s so much pain behind the mask
She wears upon her face.

Depression has controlled her life
With far too many tears,
Her smile is fake; she’s good at it,
She’s been doing it for years.

The cover is what attracts us,
To the story within the book.
And she’s afraid that without the ruse,
No one would bother to look.