They say it laughing.
“It’s just a joke.”
“It’s not that deep.”
But it is.
It’s in the pause
before you decide
whether to speak.
In the quick scan of faces
to see if anyone else noticed.
You laugh sometimes.
Not because it’s funny
but because silence
can be heavier.
They don’t see
how it lingers.
How it makes you shrink
just a little.
How you start rehearsing
comebacks
hours too late.
A joke is easy
when you’re not
the punchline.
And maybe
one day
you won’t swallow it.
Maybe one day
your voice won’t tremble
when you say,
“That’s not funny.”
Kids Help Phone (KHP) is honoured to share creative content submitted by youth from coast to coast to coast as they Feel Out Loud with us. We thank the Feel Out Loud Community Creator of this piece for their contribution to youth mental health and well-being in Canada. For more information on the Feel Out Loud Community Creator Space and / or how you can submit your own creative content for possible publication, you can visit the submission page.
