This Afternoon

You were laughing like normal,

like nothing was wrong.

But you were backing away from me,

again,

and I couldn't figure out why.

Maybe I was careless.

Maybe I touched a sore spot without knowing,

and you pulled back so you wouldn't get hurt again.

I waited for you to say something, but you didn't.

Am I too sensitive?

Maybe you're carrying a heavy secret,

or are you afraid to share it with me?

It’s easy to fake a laugh in a crowd,

but hard to hide your pain from someone who knows you well.

Or maybe you thought I was mad at you,

so you gave me space before I could ask for it.

No. I'm not mad;

just sad.

When you looked at me in the eye,

you weren't pushing me away.

You were looking for an answer,

which I didn't have to offer.