The Secrets They Whisper

I catch the flinch in your eyes.
Do you think I chose to live like this?
I once owned a bed, a sofa, and a kitchen table.
Hope sat beside me in the mornings, warm in the steam of my coffee.
My hands held dreams.
My hands cradled children.
Then, the ground crumbled under me.

If you see a woman huddled on the street, take another look.
I see a survivor.
A woman who raised herself from the wreckage—and walked.
My scars tell stories of love lost and nights survived,
of battles fought with nothing but my breath.

Try walking miles with your whole world strapped to your back.
You laugh at my layers. They keep me warm when the nights bite.
Here’s what you don’t know—how strong you are until the ground becomes your mattress.
I didn’t choose this, but I choose to keep breathing, even when it hurts.

You wrinkle your nose? Judge?
I take care of my bags. They’re clean—and if you don’t think that takes work—
you’ve never had to wash everything, every day, with nothing.

But you don’t care, do you?
Your glances cut sharper than hunger.
And hunger doesn’t define me—it’s just another battle I fight.
Your pity—lands heavier on my soul than my burdens.
I don’t need it.
I walk upright, even when the world expects me to crawl.

And every night, I sing to the stars.
They don’t care where I sleep.
They whisper to me—
truths you’re too scared to hear,
secrets the sheltered never know.

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Lynne Curry, Ph.D., is the author of “Real-life Writing,” https://bit.ly/45lNbVo; “Writing from the Cabin,” https://bit.ly/3tazJpW; www.workplacecoachblog.com; Navigating Conflict: Tools for Difficult Conversations (https://amzn.to/3rCKoWj; Managing for Accountability: A Business Leader’s Toolbox (https://bit.ly/3T3vww8); Beating the Workplace Bully: A Tactical Guide to Taking Charge (https://amzn.to/3msclOW) and Solutions 911/411, (https://amzn.to/3ueSeXX)