This isn’t a letter to my past self, but a poem that grew from the same soil. It’s called Behind the Smile…
Behind the smile is a girl who’s tired of waiting for people to see her fire.
She laughs loud but it’s a shield,
a soft heart wrapped in the battlefield.
Behind the smile is the weight of “I’m fine”.
A thousand no’s dressed up like a sign.
It’s cracked ribs from holding it in.
The art of breaking without making a scene.
She beams like the sun- on purpose not ease
‘cause no one asked how she weathered the freeze.
She shows up radiant, dressed in gold, but no one asked what that brightness holds
Behind the smile is grief that lingers.
Dreams slipping through trembling fingers.
The girl who claps for everyone’s win, but wonders when hers will begin.
It’s the mask she wears to keep peace alive,
the ache she silences just to survive.
It’s knowing her worth in a world that forgot
and loving herself whether seen or not.
So next time you see her and she grins wide,
don’t just compliment the light in her eyes.
Ask her how long she’s been standing alone,
holding her softness like a cornerstone because behind the smile,
there’s strength you’ll never measure
a soul stitch together
by pain
and still by pleasure.
Evelyn Michelle
The Soft Power Journal 