A Balm for the Lonely of Heart

To the ones who rise up from gravity with heaviness in their chest

Souls fraying at the edges while consistently giving their best,

To the ones who care for others with shoulders stooped in pain

Hiding worlds of grief, pushing aside the rising shame,

To the ones who know within themselves they are sound and whole

Yet long for the caring presence of other likeminded souls,

To those who are afraid of the uncertain chapters ahead

Trying to muster hope out of a sense of looming dread,

To the fathers and the mothers raising children on their own

Producing optimism from thin air in the face of the unknown:

I see beneath your stoic face the mental wear and tear

How you long to share your burdens with those who truly care

I hear the deeper meaning beneath the words “I am okay”

How the feelings run so deep no words can possibly convey

What you have lived, what you have learned, what you must hide

The extent of courage needed to simply stay alive,

I know it feels like no one peers into your inner world

But I can see it, dear soul, your hidden pain is heard.

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