The Queen
- Jennifer Parks
- Jun 21
- 2 min read

I used to be the queen of stuffing my feelings down
Forget it
Move on
Act like it never happened
Parade around town
Talk about it?
Cry?
Oh, I don’t have time for that
You see the sink full of dishes?
You hear the baby crying?
Those bills piling up?
That’s my responsibility and I don’t see anyone lining up
To help me take care of that
So the feelings keep getting stuffed down
Until they began to seep out
Abruptly tipping my crown
I can’t find my keys
And I have a breakdown
I accidentally burn dinner
And I have a meltdown
I lose sleep
I clench my jaw
I’m so tense
I can’t relax
Nightmares ensue and I’m under attack
I used to be the queen of stuffing my feelings down
Cause I don’t want people to see
I don’t wanna “go there” with me
Feelings are just so messy
And when I cry my face gets red
My eyes get all puffy
The room fills with dread
I curl up in the fetal position and stare at the wall
My inner resolve
Slipping.
My fall from grace is imminent
I used to be the queen of stuffing my feelings down
Now
I just allow myself to look ridiculous and I let it all out
I cry
I sob
I express my feelings
whether they make sense or not
I allow my complexities to show
I allow myself to be vulnerable
Funny thing I viewed my sadness and grief as a weakness
However, I grew closer to people when I began to share
And I discovered that I wasn’t alone after all
Copyright© [2025] [Jennifer Parks/paperpoetryprose]. All rights reserved.



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