“the weight of truth”
by Maxwell Johnson
bandage your pain,
but do not hide it.
let your heart breathe
even as it mends.
soften your face,
let kindness rest there,
even when the world feels sharp.
alleviate your soul;
give it room
to ache,
to wander,
to heal.
do not live life in disdain.
offer yourself the mercy
you keep giving away.
feel everything,
even the heaviness.
especially the heaviness.
and write.
write it all.
let the words tremble
or spill
or stay rough.
beauty is not the point—
truth is.
