The Mask She Wears
Catherine Ulrich, United States Marine Corps
They see her smile and hear her laugh
But they don’t see what’s behind her mask
“You don’t look sick,” she frequently hears
If they only knew, if they saw her tears
The burning throbbing pain is everywhere
It is constant and some days is too much to bear
She hides her pain, and tries to stay strong
To make it appear that nothing is wrong
Inside she is screaming, so no one can hear
Steady and strong is how she wants to appear
They will always see her smile and hear her laugh
She will not show what’s behind her mask
Catherine Ulrich is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps where she served for just under six years before getting medically retired. She is married and has two children. She is currently taking classes at Cape Fear Community College in hopes of becoming an Occupational Therapist Assistant.
While in the Marine Corps, she was an intelligence specialist with 10th Marines HQ BTRY. As a female, Catherine was a rarity in her ground unit. In addition, she worked in the regiment CP with the Colonel and Sgt. Maj and the rest of the Regimental staff.
