unseen pain

 I wish I could touch

Every hidden wound,

And make the hurting stop.

The silent aches people carry,

Through sunlight and rain,

Every single day.

You might watch them,

See a laugh, a shrug,

Or a sudden snap.

And in your mind, you think

"They're just playing a part,"

"They're making too much of it."

You might say, "It's nothing,

Just a bad mood, get over it."

But your eyes cannot see

The battles fought inside.

The real, heavy monsters

That whisper and bite

In their minds, dawn to dusk.

The demons they face

Alone, year after year.

If only I could take that burden,

Pull it from their weary souls,

And let them breathe light.