SHE

Standing tall,
Though she was only 5 ft 2.
She looked tough, strong
And independent too..

No smile played on her lips,
And she walked as if
She could bring the world down at her feet.

Emotionless she seemed,
Seemed and believed
To all , by all.

Why doesn’t she feel pain?
Wondered one,
While others catcalled,
Thick-skin like a cow.

Many tested.
Some tried to scare her out of her wits,
While some assumed,
their strength alone can make her flinch.

All failed.
Their attempts in vain.
“Stupid people”, she thought
and laughed inside.

She had conditioned herself
To be numb decades ago.
Taught herself to sport a poker face
When pain coursed through.

She licks her wounds
In secrecy and isolation.
For she knows  rubbing salt unto one`s wound,
Is a task of pleasure
For many to do.

To people of the world
she was a bitch faced queen
Emotionless and stone cold.

And to peopleto whom she mattered
And who mattered to her
She was warm and giving,
Helpful and all.

They saw her invisible tears
Brimming at the ends of her eyes.
They could sense her pain
Without her telling at all.

They knew her dreams ,longings and fears
And they saw her soft side
Under the shell of a rock hard exterior.
They cherished her , valued her
And most importantly loved her..

And that’s what matters after all.