Bad Day

I smile while the embers glow,

Burning where no one goes,

Words I never let escape

Twist and turn, but stay in place

There’s a storm beneath my skin,

A silent war I never win,

No screams, no shattered glass,

Just shadows that quietly amass

I walk through crowds, but feel alone,

A quiet weight I’ve always known,

They see calm eyes, a steady face,

But miss the fire I can’t erase

Every “I’m fine” I softly say

Pushes the truth a step away,

A thousand thoughts I never speak

Turn all my strength into something weak

I’m full, but empty all the same,

Drowning in an unseen flame,

No release, no loud goodbye,

Just anger I won’t let fly

It lingers in the things I hide,

In every tear I keep inside,

In every breath I hold too long,

In every place I don’t belong

So I breathe and let it stay,

Locked inside, it fades to gray,

A quiet fire, cold and deep,

The kind of rage I choose to keep.