Don't Pity Me Poem by Micron Jan

There is a loneliness that doesn't show through,
It blends in quietly, hiding in view.
I wear it with smiles that come easily,
Tell jokes on cue so no one sees me.
I say I'm fine though I'm barely alive,
Don't pity me it is just how I survive..

The world hears laughter, bright and light,
Never the thoughts that keep me up at night.
They don't feel the weight I drag through my day,
Buried beneath all the things I say.
They see the surface, not what's inside,
Don't pity me it is just how I survive.

I move through my hours pretending I'm okay,
So no one worries, so nothing will sway.
I hold it together, I play my role well,
I carry my silence, I never quite tell.
But nighttime stretches, hollow and wide,
Don't pity me it is just how I survive.

I wonder sometimes if anyone knows
The tired truth in my eyes when I close.
The pause before smiling, the breath that I hide,
The way I hesitate, fractured inside.
I don't want sympathy dressed as concern,
Don't pity me it is just how I survive.

I don't want pity or softened replies,
I want to be seen without masks or lies.
To be understood, to be valued as me,
To be cared for simply, honestly.
Until then I'll pretend and quietly strive,
Don't pity me it is just how I survive.