The Light Sees Your Hidden Cry

The room is bright now, filled with the noise of people who think they know you because they laughed at your joke. But the silence that follows the laughter is loud enough to break your ribs.

You realize they heard the punchline, but they missed the cry hidden inside it. You are wearing a face that fits the morning, while the real you is still shivering in the dark.

The mask is heavy, and it feels like no one sees the person beneath it. But the light does not need you to take the mask off to love what is underneath.

It sees the cry even when the room only hears the laugh. You do not have to perform to be known.

The light is already sitting with the part of you that is too tired to smile.