They Can’t Know

She couldn’t grasp onto her inner self.

She thought she had a hold on it,

but it slipped through her fingers—

like they had a mind of their own,

like they sabotaged her.

What she thought was her reality

was really a glimpse into a nightmare.

It felt too real—

it felt like she would never wake up.

Was she stuck?

Stuck in an abyss of disappointment and turmoil?

Would she never reach

the surface of reality again?

Blanketed with false truths

and blinded by false lies,

she folded and put away

her doubts and fears.

She opened her eyes back up

to face the world

with that smile she always wore—

she had to wear it,

and wear it well.

She had to fit in

and be okay—

to be perfectly fine.

Because they can’t know

what she’s really holding within.

By: Jasmine Rosado