Only A Dream Poem by Shilesha Johnson

i met this girl who had the biggest smile on her face and i never understood why. her life seemed so perfect to the outside world. one day i ask her.... 'why do you always have a smile on your face'? 'you just seem so happy and you have such a perfect life'. she laughed and then simply responded. 'is that what everyone sees'? 'well this smile is not real. i paint this on every morning and wash it off when i am alone'. 'i have little to be happy about. i mean things in my life are greater then what it use to be... but i still feel void inside'. 'wow. i never knew', was all i could say.. she said, 'ofcourse you didn't. people just think that my life is so perfect and everything that it's not'... 'And it's not'. 'most days i struggle just to get out of bed. most days i ask god why am i here'. i woke up and realized that i was the girl being asked these questions in my dream. i am the girl that feels this way.