We learned how to smile quietly

They taught us not to be loud

when something hurt.

To swallow the ache

like it was rude to mention.

We learned how to nod

while breaking.

How to laugh

with our ribs caving in.

We became experts at surviving—

not living.

I mastered the art of saying

“I’m fine”

in a thousand different tones,

each one less believable than the last.

Some days I wonder

who I would’ve been

if the world had listened

the first time I said

“I’m not okay.”

But here I am—

still breathing,

still standing,

still writing my truth

in the margins they ignored.

So if you’re reading this

with a tight chest

and tired eyes,

know this:

Silence kept us alive.

But voice

will set us free.