The Silent Burden

A secret whispered in the quiet dark—  

Ceases to be a secret, and the air—  

Holds its breath in trembling fear—  

A secret, guarded close within—  

Better to carry the weight alone—  

Than let the trembling earth be stirred—  

By the sound of your voice breaking—  

What once was held in shadowed clasp—  

Continual dread is better than release—  

Than the knowing eyes of another—  

Who bears the secret beside you now—  

And shatters the solitude of your heart—  

The silent burden is now a shared pain—  

And in its unveiling, the world shifts—  

For what was yours alone is no more—  

And the trust of silence is broken—