The Lie
“Don’t worry, I’m fine.”
Who knew lying was so easy? But then this untruth rolls off the tongue with practised bravado, so often is it told.
“I said I’m fine.”
It’s the cork that keeps it all inside, stops the darkness leaking. Don’t let it spill, don’t let it out. Keep it bubbling away beneath the surface where it can’t hurt anyone but me.
“Honestly, I’m fine.”
The only lie I’ll let myself tell because it makes up for all the rest. Every day, every night. Every time someone asks if I’m okay.
“I’m fine. Really.”
But I wish I didn’t have to tell it. I wish someone would see through it.
See the truth in my eyes and in my smile.
See the boy inside the man, too afraid to cry.
See what I need.
See that it’s you.
“I’m fine.”
But you never do.
Comments
I was a fan of the previous version, so it’s nice to see an update :) This ending… the way the whole poem’s pacing is slower, more concentrated on teh internal struggle than the speech going on – which is great because we can fill in the blanks with the dialogue easily with your intermissant “i’m fine”’s.
The only line I want to ask you about is why you decided to include “Every time someone asks if I’m okay” ?
I didn’t, really. Well, I did, but I don’t plan these things before hand, I just start and see where things go.
There is something off about it, now that you mention it. Might have to think about changing it to something else, if not omitting that line entirely.
– Aimless