“Let Me Think I’m Happy”

“Are you happy now?” my brother asked,

And that one line… hit me so fast.

A silence followed, not out loud,

But deep within, beneath the crowd.

I turned away, smiled faintly bright,

But inside, shadows dimmed the light.

Why am I dodging what’s real and true?

Because facing it would break me in two.

If I dwell on the ache I hide,

It wraps around, pulls me inside.

And I’m done with meds, with tears I bled—

I want to laugh at life instead.

So I pretend, and maybe that’s fine,

To grin wide at stars that barely shine.

Ignore the storm that whispers my name,

'Cause my anxiety never played fair game.

This time it’s mine — this breath, this beat,

Let joy grow wild in cracks beneath my feet.

So let me smile, like a fool, like a flame,

On silly things, with no one to blame.

Let me think I’m happy — even if I lie,

Because sometimes, that’s how we survive.