I fall silent fall silent
When I should be raging mad
I roll eyes
When I should be yelling loud
I close eyes

When I should be speaking hard
I purse lips
When I should be letting sound
Why should I not speak
When its curses I want to utter
When insults burn my lips
When disrespect yearns to show
My lips become mute
Yet my pen ravages on
Abusing the plain white paper
Tearing into the very soul of it
My pen has no lips to speak
It has no hands to wave off
It has no eyes to roll in disgust
It has no feet to stomp on the ground
Nor does it have palms that can slap
Yet it speaks more than my lips
Constantly drying ink away
Writing all the unmentionable syllables
Scribling away all uncontrollable urges
Witnessing to every maddening thought
Putting vile emotions on concrete
Deleting yet rewriting that outburst
My lips want to do much
To speak
To yell
To swear
To scream
To violate
Yet my pen says to shut flood gates
It will release all that for me
Put it down on paper
Hide away every unrepentant sin
Beneath the blue ink
On that canvas of thoughts
So many things my lips could have spoken
But my pen would not let me
So I shall write it down
Press down thoughts that kill
Muffle noises that betray
Hide hurts that burn
Just so my pen takes all the heat
So no one knows what my heart ponders
When done
My pen shall speak more than my lips
Because it has no soul
It cannot feel remorse
It will not change its mind about writing
My lips shall be sealed then
When my pen starts writing
Because it knows me deeper
Understands when I wish to speak not
Only my pen

If this resonated with you, you are not alone. Grief can feel isolating, but your story matters. If you feel comfortable, I invite you to share your journey, whether through a few words, a poem, or a personal experience. Your voice could be the comfort someone else is searching for.  Leave a comment below, or,

You can share your stories through griefpoetry@gmail.com

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This poem explores the tension between outward restraint and inner emotional release, showing how strong, intense feelings are often held back in spoken interaction but find expression through writing.

It reflects the contrast between what is felt internally and what is allowed to be expressed publicly, especially when emotions like anger, frustration, or hurt arise but are not voiced.

It suggests that speech is often controlled by social awareness, self-restraint, or fear of consequences, leading to silence even when emotions are strong and demanding expression.

In these moments, the mind suppresses verbal reaction, preventing words of anger or insult from being spoken aloud, even when they feel justified in the moment.

Writing, in contrast, becomes a private space where those suppressed emotions are released freely. It serves as a channel for thoughts that would otherwise remain unspoken, allowing raw, unfiltered emotion to take form.

Through writing, intense feelings such as anger, pain, and resentment are expressed without immediate real-world consequences, turning internal conflict into language.

The poem also highlights how writing can feel like a more complete form of expression than speech. While spoken words are limited by timing, control, and reaction, written words allow for reflection, intensity, and depth.

This creates a sense that writing captures emotional truth more fully than verbal communication.

At the same time, the poem reflects a sense of emotional containment. Instead of expressing everything outwardly, feelings are processed internally and transferred onto paper, suggesting both relief and suppression.

Writing becomes a way to release emotions while still keeping them hidden from others. The poem is about the relationship between silence and expression, showing how unspoken emotions often find their most honest form through writing, where they can exist freely without interruption or judgment.