Everything's Fine

There is this expectation
part conditioning
to internalize any distress
to bottle up emotion
because it's perceived as weak
or uncouth or inconsequential
as if pain and vulnerability
weren't essential building blocks
of humanity,
encouraged
to say everything is fine
and turn a smile to the world
to hide internal turbulance
but the weight
is not ours alone to bear
it may take some practice
to speak up
to give form and voice
to hardship
but it is necessity
because there are times
when everything is not fine
isolation is no help
for healing.