Just Pretending
A Mask Worn
Pretend
it wasn't you.
It was someone else
touched inappropriately --
too young to fight.
*
Pretend it wasn't you,
afraid of yet another visit in the dark.
It was someone else
hiding tears behind the smiles.
Pretend the sleepless nights
are a byproduct of hard work.
Pretend the hard work is just that --
not for burying yourself
in something other than memories.
*
Pretend the you who finally said "no"
said it sooner.
Pretend the forgiveness you gave yourself is real.
Like an actress born into a role,
Pretend as if your sanity depends on it.
It just may.
About the Creator
Julie Lacksonen
Julie has been a music teacher at a public school in Arizona since 1987. She enjoys writing, reading, walking, swimming, and spending time with family.
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Keep reading
More stories from Julie Lacksonen and writers in Poets and other communities.
Comments (9)
Yeah, I’m sure this ripped your soul from your body—it hurts to read it, so writing it probably damn near killed you. Glad you pushed through, survived, and thrived.
Well deserved runner up place. Well done!❤️
Wow! That really hits hard. Outstanding work, Julie. Congrats!!!
Wooohooooo congratulations on your win! 🎉💖🎊🎉💖🎊
Congrats on your runner up placement🎉🎉
Well done Julie! Congratulations on your win
The final line gave me chills. Sometimes pretending really is survival.
Such a powerful and heartbreaking piece. The repetition of ‘pretend’ really captures the weight of survival and the strength it takes just to keep going.
To cover up a poor relationship, you pretend that person is still perfect.