Poem: Crying It Out

Some things held back need to be cried out.


Crying It Out

I’ve never cried it out
Oh sure, there’ve been some moments
in the arms of those who loved me,
when the tears have come
and it almost, might have happened
But I’ve never cried it out

Life’s longer and shorter than I planned
and no one ever let me know
there’s a better way to handle things,
than blindly seeing them through
And there’s often tightness in my chest,
but I never cried it out

If it seems to you there’s distance in me,
that you’ll never understand,
then know it caught me by surprise,
this rising tide of helplessness
When everyone I know needs help,
but I never cried it out

And I recognize these feelings often now
They might show progress of a sort,
this sudden welling up of pain
that slides out of my eyes,
but I’m afraid of things like this
and just can’t cry it out

Trying to change a life not good enough
by the standards that I set,
with all those years of struggling
my way, the only way I could
I find myself without a thing to teach,
except the need to cry it out

I need to hold you, each and all, these days
and maybe you feel much the same
But we’ll have to do the best we can,
‘cause I haven’t learned it yet
and don’t have much to offer you,
but my hope you’ll cry it out

Life isn’t meant to be begun again
and I wouldn’t want to anyway
But I wish I’d put my arms around you,
each of you and all of you,
and told you yeah, it’s been okay
And held you while you cried it out 
Poetry Collection: Corner of My Mind
This poem is included in
Jim Freeman's
poetry collection

CORNER OF MY MIND
available here in print
or as an e-Book
in your favorite formats.