I Carried It Poem by Nick Leow

'i carried it'

i never spoke of it.
not because it hurt,
but because
naming it
would've made it heavier.

some things
don't ask
to be understood.

they ask
to be held
gently,
and without noise.

i didn't need to tell anyone.
i still don't.

for a while now,
i've moved
a little slower.
stayed
a little longer.
left
with a little less
to explain.

it wasn't a lesson.
wasn't a turning point.

just a shift
so quiet,
it stayed
without asking for space—
and gave it
in return.