We lay the first brick in the silence,
a foundation of “I’m fine,”
mixed with mortar that hardens
over the things we’d rather keep inside.
They are high enough to block the wind
and the wayward judging gaze.
Architecturally sound,
guaranteed to weather the decades.
But the trouble with walls
built this strong
is they battle the storm
for so long,
the heart stays hidden inside them
mistaking its silence for where it belongs