Don’t Tell Me Your Troubles When I’m Already in Pain

Don’t tell me your troubles when I’m already in pain

Don’t bring me more dark clouds when I’m drowning in rain

That’s no time to vent or gossip about all

Of the humans you know who fill you with gall

Please give me a break while the hurt is so strong

And refrain from saying that my emotions are wrong

Don’t contradict, correct, or otherwise deny

The words that I say, or else I will cry

Judging me or my feelings has no place in my life

And neither do those who bring me more strife

I don’t want to hear what you think I should do

To help me feel better when I’m feeling blue

I know what to do when I’m feeling bad

So telling me what to do will only make me feel mad

When I say Sawyer died, don’t take that as your cue

To say, “I know how you feel because I lost my dog, too.”

How could you know what it’s like to be me

When you’ve never been I and I’ve never been thee?

Why do you think it would help me to heal

To tell me about your losses with zeal?

And please don’t think you’ll send dark clouds away

By saying that everything will all be ok

Don’t make promises you know you can’t keep

And think this will comfort me as I weep

Telling me not to cry is a horrible curse

That, if followed, will only serve to make me feel worse

“Look on the bright side!” is an odd thing to say

When all I can see are drab days full of gray

You can offer me a hug or a listening ear

And accept me when I’m full of sadness and fear

Or ask me to share a story or memory

From loved ones who’ve meant so much to me

Sit with me in silence, I ask and I pray

If I run out of words and have no more to say

Sometimes I feel tired and only want space

When I’ve had too many humans getting up in my face

Some time to myself and a whole lot of rest

Will always get me back to feeling my best

These gestures will do more than any words spoken

To help me with healing when I’m feeling broken

If this seems like too much, then all I can say

Is please steer clear of me when I have a bad day