They Fake It

They give you words of comfort

Their smiles assure you that everything will be alright

Their laughter brings you hope

Their touch gives you strength

Their presence envelopes your lonely hearts

~

But you never know,

Or will never know

~

That they are the people who silently cry at night.

Whose pillow knows more about them than you do.

Their smiles fade when they close their bedroom door.

For maintaining that smile assures people that they’re “okay”

~

Along the way, they have mastered their fake laugh

Because they find it easier than explaining something so deeply.

~

It’s not your fault for not seeing it,

they learned how to conceal their pains.

They controlled how to hold it in.

They choose the people who can truly carry their burden.

For it’s never for the faint hearts.

~

These are the people who were once broken.

These are the ones who hit rock bottom.

And they felt trapped

With nowhere else to go, no escape, nobody to lean on.

So they know what it feels like.

~

They know that there are no right words to say in these times.

That no actions are needed when you’re lonely.

That pain is not to be fixed, it’s to be felt.

~

“Self-help” books are not enough to answer the questions in the mind.

In time, ask them, how many books have they read.

How many motivational videos have they watched

How many times have they asked for advice

Because they seriously tried.

And healing is not to be rushed, it’s done in peace.

~

For they’ve been there.

They had a conversation with pain.

They had a trip with loneliness.

They embraced doubt.

They calmed anxiety.

Along the way, they met them, and they dealt with them.

~

Or maybe, just maybe, they’re still there.

Still, they sit with you, as you cry

And they do, too.

Only, your cries are heard

And theirs, aren’t.