Stiff Upper Lip

 

The feelings within must have been so draining,

they would have made a lesser man give in

but that was you, working to the bone, never complaining

never let them bring you down

stored them inside, out of reach,

a stiff upper lip, never letting the pain inside breach

not wearing a frown

never letting on that it was tearing you apart

that it was putting strain on your heart

 

You hid the worst, so that we didn't make a fuss

or feel unable to offer love enough

I wish you could have screamed

or shouted, let the pain erupt 

into a vocal flood for us to wade through

so that we knew 

all that we should

let on that you were in doubt, that it was so painful to take each day

I wish you had just opened up to say

that it was too much, but you kept the stiff upper lip

never letting on, never once letting slip

 

We could have held you tight,

or took off some of your plight

let you rest inside, enjoying the life you desired

that you deserved, 

the retired life in which you should have thrived

you kept the stiff upper lip

every moment of hurt,

never letting your mask slip, 

never letting on how much the pain gripped

 

I wonder to myself sometimes

when darkness blooms like blackened flowers

in quiet reflective hours, I ask

could I have done more, if instead of saying goodbye, 

I'd walked into that day

instead of waiting at home

I'd taken your place

If I had been quicker to react, 

would we be sat, watching the night blink in, 

like a television set bursting to life

 

Instead of talking over shared smiles

if I hadn't let my stiff upper lip say that you were fine

when deep inside I knew that your smile hid pain

if I had opened my arms wide

Would you have let go of that foolish pride

would I still be writing so much of tears cried?

 

Did I properly mourn, did I grieve?

did I allow myself to breathe?

did it sink in, that I'd never see

or you'd never hear, that we would never be

able to speak again

did I mourn in the rain?

or did I wallow in my pain?

silently allowing it to tear my heart in two

did I do enough to make you

proud of who

I was to become

 

 

Thanks For Reading,

Peace, Love and Poetry.

Kyle.