Masks We Wear

In the corner, I feign a laugh, a fool,

a coffee cup left half-finished, steam fading cool.

I nod along while my heart sinks low,

pretending I’m lost in the words that flow.

A coworker stumbles, confusion in sight,

misunderstanding a truth I could set right.

But ego is sticky, it keeps me confined,

so I swallow my knowledge, let silence unwind.

What good is the truth if it darkens my stage?

I play the fool's part, turning wisdom to rage.

Yet in quiet moments, I know what I lack—

understanding hidden, I refuse to look back.