I used to think silence meant something was wrong,
a pause too heavy,
a breath too long.
I hid behind closed doors,
pretending fine
while my heart spoke in whispers
I didn’t yet understand.
The world outside kept spinning,
but I stayed still,
a shadow waiting
for the sun to notice.
One evening,
I stepped out.
The sky was spilling over
with orange and blue,
a quiet masterpiece,
painted by someone who believed
in second chances.
I lay on the grass
and listened.
Not for voices,
but for the hum of the wind,
the rustle of leaves,
the laughter drifting from somewhere far away.
And suddenly,
the silence wasn’t empty.
It was full
of breath,
of hope,
of me.
Now,
I draw skies when I’m sad,
write tiny notes that say,
you made it through today.
Healing, I’ve learned,
doesn’t always roar.
Sometimes,
it’s a whisper,
a brushstroke,
a heartbeat.
Sometimes,
it’s just the sound of the sky
and knowing
you still belong beneath it.
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.
