To the Ones Like Me

Emily Wolff

The ones who act like nothing can touch them  

only to break in secret. 

The ones with the brave face 

who hide tears in the dead of night. 

A bright smile and a brighter laugh 

to conceal the pain and hurt. 

There for the ones they love, pillars of support. 

They never receive the same support back. 

Strong willed with a fighter’s mentality, 

   but minds weighed down by stress and worry  

that others will never

     see. 

The ones who give their all  

even when they’re exhausted, and their backs are to the wall. 

They have had to save themselves,  

  for no one else was there to do it. 

The ones who love fiercely and endlessly, 

yet have had their hearts shattered repeatedly. 

      With the use of sheer will they hold their hearts together. 

The ones that go overlooked and ignored. 

          Who know what it feels like to be alone in a room full of

people. 

The ones who have questioned their worth and whether they are truly loved. 

They rely only on themselves, for others are

unreliable. 

The ones who choose to procrastinate  

instead of facing another problem. 

They are good at burying their internal conflicts. 

The ones that suffer in silence, 

because others have proven not to care long ago. 

Every battle has only strengthened and hardened their walls 

making them more and more

impenetrable. 

Secrets kept and hidden so deep  

        they will go to the grave before anyone finds them. 

The ones who wish for peace and happiness, 

     but must settle for okay and fine for now. 

We will survive  

not because of others  

but because of ourselves. 

So, here’s to us and all we have endured and will continue to endure. 

The Ones Like Me