Since I Stopped Crying, a Waltz

A despair grabbed me by the hand
in a way no true happiness would ever dare.
I wore all kinds of masks at that ball
to hide the stains of tears and fears that
my soul decided to impregnate my face with.
Had I soaked all night in ice
I would have suffered less, one might think,
as all the swelling around my eyes
Had made it look like I had been on wine
and aspirins (for far too long)
but no, sir.
I forced a smile on my visage,
the kind you get only when you are merry,
but mine almost looked as if
it were going
to crack;
and no mask could hide
any thing, any
more.

We danced all night then,
that daring despair and I.

Rodrigo Aleixo