I have to be

I
Have to stay together
So she can

I
Have to smile
So she can pretend
Pretend she's fine.

I
Have to pretend
That I'm fine
So my mama will

I have to be alright
For my mama's sanity

I have to be fine
I have to be stable
So my mama has someone to lean on
When life gets hard.

But I'm not alright.
I wanna break down.
I wanna be a kid.
There is no one to catch me

So I have to be strong
I have to be tough.
I have to be the rock for everyone to stand on

I'm just pretending
To be alright.

I'm just pretending
That I'm fine

I'm broken inside.

But don't  tell my mama
Because she needs me to be strong
She needs me to be stable
She needs me to be there to catch her when she falls

I have to be