too many

how far
can you stretch out your thoughts  until they snap
like rubber bands kept in the scorching sun
how long
can you maintain this smile you have
until the cracks start showing thin and dark
right at the corners of your mouth
then running up into those tired eyes
how hard
is it to keep this mask
when fingernails are scratching at the edges
how many
sleepless nights will you count still
how many of them etched down in your ledger
how much
it takes from you to keep
all of the darkness bottled up
how many graves are there to dig
for all the remnants of your past