Thank you

I wrote this poem for a friend who is always there when I need her ... and I have a feeling that in my eyes simply saying "thank you" won't cut it but I'm gonna try anyway...
It's kinda long...

Thank You

The girl with the deep brown eyes
Is hiding something.
Beneath that smile
There are tears
And pain.
forcibly hidden
So that those around can't see it
And laugh.
She's been like this for so long
That she can't see
That it's wrong.
Those around her
Are blind.
They don't know
What's behind
That mask that she wears,
So carefully painted
With that life-like stare.

"She's just quiet,"
They say.
But she's not.
Inside her head
She's screaming,
Wishing that someone could hear.
It's been years since she's tired
To put her pain
Into words.
When she did
It just scared everyone away.
It was then that she carefully
Crafted her mask.
But now there is someone
Who can see all the cracks.

The mask is now too heavy to wear
And I've taken on
Much more than I can bear.
But this friend
Who can see the hidden
Pain in my eyes
Offers to help,
To make things okay.
At first I am startled by this.
I thought that I didn't deserve
To be helped,
Or even to be okay.
I waited and waited
For the friend to give up,
To be left alone again.

This friend, though, is true
And she won't leave me.
If I ever think I don't deserve her
She knows all the reasons why I do.
She's there when I'm happy
And when I'm depressed
And I help her
When she's not at her best.
I really don't know
What I'd do without her.
I owe her my life.
I'll never be able to pay her back.
She makes me feel better
And now I'm no longer alone.

I'm at a loss for words
I don't know what to tell you,
Or how to thank you properly.
So until I know
How to say it right
A simple
"Thank you",
From the bottom of my heart,
Will have to do.
Is that all right?

**********

Every word in the poem is how I feel and I think I've said it before but I don't know what I'd do without you....Thank you Nettie:)