You say I’m naive with a shake of your head, Like you’ve read every page of the life that I’ve led. Like the cracks in my voice tell you all that I hide, Like you know every storm that I carry inside. You only see tears when they fall from my face, Not the strength that it takes just to stand in this place. You only see someone too fragile to cope, Not the hands gripping tight to the last thread of hope. You see a lost girl who is stuck in her pain, Walking in circles through sorrow and rain. But you don’t see the doors that I’m trying to find, Or the plans that I build in the back of my mind. You don’t see me rise when my body says no, Or the weight that I carry wherever I go. You don’t see me step out with a smile that’s rehearsed, Hiding how I feel at my absolute worst. You don’t see the jobs that I try to pursue, Or the effort it takes just to make it through. You don’t see the dreams that I quietly chase, Or the fear that I swallow to keep up the pace. You don’t see how silent I force myself to be, Because no one before ever listened to me. So I learned how to hold every feeling inside, Be the place others vent while my own aches hide. You don’t see the words that are thrown at my chest, Or how being alive feels like failing a test. You don’t see how I nod and I never defend, Because speaking my truth only breaks me again. You see someone weak, someone ready to fall, But I’m fighting a war you don’t see at all. So before you decide what my story must be, Understand you see shadows, not the real me.