Lost Under Their Smiles

They all smiled
and walked by.
Not one paused
to ask
if I was breaking.

Maybe
I got good
at pretending.
Maybe
they just liked
the mask.

I laughed
when I needed
to cry.
I showed up
when I wanted
to disappear.

People love you
when you make
no noise.
When you don’t
ask for help.
When you stay
easy
to handle.

But silence
is not peace.
And smiling
is not healing.

Sometimes
I stare at the ceiling
and wonder
if anyone would notice
if I stopped trying.

Not died.
Just
stopped pretending
I’m okay.

I think
some would
miss the version
I played.
Not the real me.
Not the tired one
underneath.

So I write
for the version
they ignore.
For the truth
they never see.
For the soul
that’s still screaming
even in the quiet.

That silence?
It isn’t empty.
It’s full
of everything
I never said.