What Is Strength?

What is strength?

Do they even know?

Strength is the epitome of glory

Being swallowed within a pit of despair

Only to fight, claw and scream your way out.

And, as you crawl out of that horrid hold…

People applaud you and smile.

They hear you screaming,

“Help me! I’m in pain!”

Yet, they cheer,

“But, you’ve already won!”

Therefore you learn to keep going in silence.

Because as long as they see you win,

Your suffering doesn’t exist.

And you learn to lick your wounds in secret.

Because anytime you’ve asked for help,

They get angry at you for needing it.

The love you have,

Gets folded up tight.

And the pain you once loved,

Becomes a monstrous fright

That only you can see,

And it comes mostly at night.

Strength is a beautiful thing,

That becomes a curse if not tended

Remember, there is strength in solitude,

But loneliness is not a requirement of survival.