there is a girl
with an entire universe
collapsing behind her ribs

and nobody knows

because she laughs loudly
because she shows up
because she learned that people
only ask if you’re okay
when you look like you aren’t

but she has mastered
the art of disappearing
while standing right in front of you

she has stitched herself together
with invisible thread
held her own hand through nights
that felt endless
and survived battles
she never had the words to explain

they call her strong

they don’t know
strength was never the dream

the dream was to be held
without having to fall apart first

the dream was to be loved
before she became a lesson
in survival

but still

look at her

still breathing
still becoming
still carrying a heart
that the world tried
so hard to turn to stone