I wear a smile
soft as morning light,
yet they search it
for shadows that were never mine.
They see kindness
and call it deception.
They hear my silence
and call it strategy.
They cannot believe
that a quiet heart
can simply be at peace.
"The kindest faces
hide the sharpest blades,"
they whisper
whenever I walk by.
"Lethal."
That is the name
they gave me
before they ever knew my story.
"Lethal."
A word carried
by voices
that mistook mystery
for malice.
They built a stranger
from their fears
and dressed her
in my face.
They believe
my smile conceals danger.
They believe
my calm is a warning.
They believe
my silence
is waiting to strike.
But they do not know
the prayers I pray,
the tears I hide,
or the battles
I choose not to fight.
If my heart has a weapon,
it is forgiveness.
If my soul carries anything,
it is grace.
Still...
They call me lethal.
That is what they say about me.
I have learned
that not every accusation
deserves a defense.
Not every rumor
deserves my voice.
So I leave my name
where it has always belonged,
In the hands of God.
And until He clears my name,
I will keep my peace,
wear my smile,
guard my heart,
and let the truth
arrive in its own time.
© 2026 Gloria Penelope
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