Hidden Pain

Pain doesn’t always flow in tears,  

It lingers, quiet, through the years.  

A silent storm, no thunder’s cry,  

A weight beneath the clear blue sky.  

The world sees laughter, hears the song,  

Yet fails to grasp what feels so wrong.  

Behind the smile, a shadow grows,  

A tale of heartache no one knows.  

The lips curve upward, hiding the ache,  

A fortress built so none can break.  

For strength, we wear, becomes the guise,  

To veil the hurt from prying eyes.  

But even masks can start to slip,  

Revealing scars from battles’ grip.  

Behind the smile, the truth resides—  

A soul that fights, yet softly hides.  

So if a smile shines bright and clear,  

Remember what might linger near.  

For kindness, offered, can unseal  

The deepest wounds we work to heal.