The Sadness I Don’t Name

There is a sadness I do not explain,
Not out of pride, or fear of being weak,
But some hurts lose their shape when spoken plain,
And some are not for everyone to seek.

It is not grief that asks to be consoled,
Nor storm enough to make the whole world turn.
It is a quiet thing I simply hold,
A private ache that only one should learn.

The kind of sad I carry through the day,
Behind the smile I’ve learned to keep in place,
Where “I’m alright” means “please don’t look this way,”
Unless it’s you who sees it in my face.

For no one else could understand the weight,
Of what I hide, and still hope you translate.