Who are you next to?
Are they ok?
Their face may not tell us
How they’re feeling today.
Don’t snap at the stranger
Who hurries straight past,
His loved one is hurt
And he’s needed there fast.
The girl who is quiet,
She sits all alone,
She’s not antisocial
She’s frightened of home.
A guy who is funny,
Entertaining a crowd
Is full of self loathing,
The jokes are his shroud.
A woman with beauty,
So natural and rare,
Cuts herself in desperation
And hacks off her hair.
The person from work
Who’s deemed to go far,
Yet on his way home
Walks in front of a car.
She’s surrounded by people
Yet lonely inside,
Suppressing her tears
As there’s nowhere to hide.
A soldier on the outside
Who’s brave and so strong
Has been hiding his trauma
From duty too long.
We need more to be done
More support we can give
So that people in pain
Have a reason to live.
The point I am making,
don’t judge and be kind
The outside is a cover
For despair of the mind.
More about The Poem...
Marie comments, 'I wrote the poem at a time when everyone was talking about how we hide how we feel. Nobody knows what others are going through, how they’re tortured inside silently. I can relate to that pain and I wanted to raise awareness.'
This heartfelt and poignant poem urges readers to look beyond the surface and recognize the hidden struggles that people around them might be facing. Each verse paints a vivid picture of individuals whose outward appearances or behaviours mask deep inner turmoil and suffering.
The poem begins by encouraging empathy towards strangers, highlighting how a hurried individual might be rushing to aid a loved one, and a quiet girl might be dealing with fear rather than antisocial tendencies. It then contrasts a funny man's public persona with his private self-loathing and a beautiful woman's visible allure with her hidden self-harm and desperation.
Through its verses, the poem also brings attention to a successful worker who contemplates suicide, a woman who feels lonely despite being surrounded by people, and a soldier concealing trauma behind a façade of bravery. Each story underscores the theme that appearances can be deceiving, and people often carry burdens invisible to the outside world.
The poem concludes with a powerful call to action, emphasizing the need for more support and kindness towards those in pain. It reminds readers that external behaviour often hides internal despair, urging them to withhold judgment and extend compassion. By doing so, the poem advocates for a more understanding and supportive community where people feel less isolated and more valued.
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