taratalks
Pressure to 'be ok'
You want me bright and shiny, not honest and real
I feel like I have to be all bright and shiny
Pretend life’s controlled; put together, flat tidy
But there’s the real me creeping out,
Not part of the okayness veneer
Disconnection for life - shamed, and blamed, Riley
I mask the truth and what’s going on inside Crushed by weight of my expectation
Losing roles openly on what it truly means to thrive
Doing nothing as afraid to be honest, afraid to admit to me, afraid to do anything at all
People want ‘I’m good’ ‘fine’ - easy and comfortable
‘You’re no good’ feeds my internal dialogue
I teach myself to stay small
No one needs my mental health’s empty nutrition
They want happiness, contentment, a contagious joy
Creating only a world that is wanted
When it was what society asked for, how can my masking be a ploy?
Making others comfortable
Rejecting development and wondering why you complain
It’s impossible to say ‘life is hard’
Can’t put fingers on the emptiness
And too exhausted to explain

Image credit: Canva
(You only want flowers and sunshine)