My life has a veneer,
Quite a glossy , happy one,
Mostly shiny and eager to experience
Fun and friendship and love.
This veneer scrubs up well
And can look reasonably attractive
In the right light.
Looking closely though, some of the edges are split,
Or crumbled in places.
Hair lined cracks sometimes give it a marbled appearance.
From time to time, a sliver falls away,
To reveal……..a vast ocean of tears.

by Mary Mitchell