Listen

People who pass me on the street
 or see me in a store
ask me how I'm doing
and walk away
 not not even caring to know what I say
 I say "I'm good" or "I'm okay"
 Knowing that the truth is something
I can't say
Or could I?
What would happen if I told my deepest feelings
to a stranger passing by?
"Would thay stop to listen?" I wondered
so one day I tried
"How are you?" They asked
 "Not good, I wanna die" I replied
They just walked away
 without even hesitating
or wondering if they should stay


I stopped trying to say how I was really feeling even to my my closest friends because I felt like they didn't even want to stop to listen
I smiled and said "I'm good"
If they cared
If they listened closely enough
 they would have heard the pain in my voice
It's always there
They would hear it if they cared


My mom asked me how I was doing
 I said "I'm okay"
and I almost killed myself that day

I tried so hard to pretend to be okay
If they listened
 they would have heard me crying myself to sleep
If they listened
they would have heard the pain in my voice
 when I was so sad I could barely speak

Please
Just listen to the stranger passing by
I don't understand why we feel like we have to lie

I've seen the joy light up people's face
when they finally find
someone who actually listens
Everyone just wants to be heard

There is relief from the the pain
with every little word
when someone
finally
actually
 listens