...But Are You, Really?

I wonder how well you think you know me.

You ask how I’ve been, and I answer truthfully.

And then comes the look,

the one that says “Are you? Are you, really?”

I’ve known those who fell into a bottomless abyss,

lost in the deep spaces, the dark places.

I’ve seen others choose to view the world

through the bottom of a bottle.

And those who carry their grief like a chip 

on their shoulder, weighted down, bitter, 

blaming others for what they couldn't fix.

I am not that person;

I have known light, 

and I have known love.

I have watched fortitude and determination

bring someone back. Not once, not twice,

but again, and again, and again.

And I made a promise that I, too, would 

never give up, never surrender.

In this I find my peace.

So if you expect a different answer,

then don’t ask.

I am okay.

 Really.

© Ginny Brannan 2021