Sonnet #3

Don't be fooled, I'm not always this cheerful.
In fact I'm rather prone to melancholy.
I paint my face with several shades of folly,
while underneath I hide a mask that's tearful.
It's difficult to keep a smiling face
in a world filled with bitterness and pain.
And though I have no reason to complain,
I'm straining from the rigor of my pace.

So what, you ask, could make me so ecstatic,
while usually I'm mired deep in gloom.
It's you, you simply walk into the room
and I bloom into a smile (it's automatic).

(you know it's true) You really are vivacious.
Your smile makes me smile (it's contagious).


Sonnet #3 is copyright © 1995 John Perry. Any rebroadcast or republication is prohibited without my expressed written consent. Write to me with your comments or usage requests

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