Pretending

I feel like a pretender,
pretending to be okay.

The silence,
floating between us,
makes the sadness inside me,
so much louder.

So many words,
so many thoughts,
build up,

wanting to be voiced,
wanting to be heard,
wanting to be cared for,
valued.

But they will receive none of that,
so I keep them to myself.

Continuing to smile
my pretend smile.