A Cheerful Boy

There was a boy with a smile so bright,

Always happy, a joyous sight,

But beneath the grin, he held a weight,

A pain he hid, a heartache he ate.

He never spoke of his inner strife,

Kept it hidden, a secret life,

But in his eyes, a telltale sign,

A glimmer of sadness, hard to define.

He bore his burden all alone,

Never once did he make it known,

Afraid to show his vulnerability,

He chose to suffer in silence, silently.

He walked through life with a stoic grace,

Putting on a brave and cheerful face,

But inside, he was crumbling apart,

Carrying the weight of a broken heart

Oh, how we wish he would confide,

Open up and let his emotions slide,

For we are here to lend an ear,

And wipe away the tears of his fear.

He looked to the sky and asked above,

"Why must I be so void of love?"

Why can't I feel the warmth of a hug,

Or the thrill of a first kiss, like a dove?"

The sky remained silent, as it always does,

And the boy was left with his own cause,

To find a way to break the pause,

And unlock the door to his emotional flaws.

But until then, we'll admire his strength,

The resilience that he carries at length,

And hope that one day he'll find release,

And let go of his pain and find some peace.

-- Shreyash Upadhyay