The Quiet Questions

How are you? Such a simple phrase,

Yet the answer drifts in a cloudy haze.

"I'm fine," we say... words rehearsed and clean,

But beneath the surface, what does it mean?

Busy lives pull our minds away,

Chasing tasks through every day.

Meetings, deadlines, places to be,

Forgetting the whispers inside quietly.

The mind's a room with many doors,

Some stay locked on shadowed floors,

Emotions linger in corners dim,

Unheard, unseen, wearing thin.

I feel... but what comes next?

A flood of thoughts leaves us perplexed.

Sadness, anger, feeling brittle,

Longings buried since we were little.

I really need... a pause, a breath,

To break the chains of quiet death.

Not physical, but deep within,

Where unspoken wishes quietly spin.

I'm angry that... but don't dare say,

The rage is tucked so far away.

It bubbles, simmers, cracks the skin,

A volcano begging to be let in.

I'm hurt that... echoes soft and low,

A fragile truth we're scared to show.

We learned to wear our armor thick,

But hurt still finds its way to stick.

My body wants... a tender plea,

Rest and care, to just let be.

Ignored to long, it starts to shout,

In ways that twist and wear us out.

So sit and ask, don't be afraid,

What needs attention, what thoughts invade?

Close your eyes, and softly pry,

Let answers come; don't ask them why.

Each feeling's a lantern, guiding the way,

A voice of truth that fears delay.

In twenty minutes, a stranger appears

Not made of doubt, but vivid and clear.

Trade the mask for something real,

Let the hidden self finally heal.

For knowing yourself - the dark and the bright -

Turns heavy hearts into wings of light.