I Don't Want To Be Told I'm Strong
By Christiana Rosenthal
Everyone says, “You’re so strong” somehow
But why do I feel so weak right now?
If only they could see, see the real me
The me that struggles, the me that weeps
The me that barely stands on my own two feet
I’ve experienced so many difficult things
But does it take strength just to survive?
Because honestly, I don’t know how I’m alive
Is there moral good in suffering’s flame?
Does great pain earn a virtuous name?
I don’t want to have to be strong, I want to be secure
Are the strong just the ones expected to endure?
I don’t want to be told I’m strong
When I’ve been breaking all along
Don’t praise the wall that keeps me in
It’s not courage—it’s discipline
If you knew what I knew, you’d cry too
So don’t call me strong—call me true
Sometimes I just want acknowledgment and grace
Justice for the pain, for the hands I’ve faced
I'm in a vulnerable, broken state
But you don’t see it—maybe I hide it too great
I’ve learned to pretend, to set my lines
To build boundaries and say, “I’m fine”
Just ‘cause I survived those cruel conditions
Doesn’t mean I should’ve faced that mission
I would’ve been naive, now I can’t trust
I would’ve loved, now love feels unjust
I would’ve cried, now I just shut down
No tears, no sound, no one around
I want to tell them, “If you knew what I knew...”
But they only see the armor, not what’s true
I don’t want to be told I’m strong
When I’ve been breaking all along
Don’t praise the wall that keeps me in
It’s not courage—it’s discipline
If you knew what I knew, you’d cry too
So don’t call me strong—call me true
The strength you see is just the shell
Built from silence, forged in hell
Behind it is a soul so fragile
Living in fear, counting every mile
From independence to constant need
From open arms to silent plead
Does it mean if I wasn’t strong, I’d be dead?
So are the ones who didn’t make it weak instead?
I don’t want to be told I’m strong
Not when the nights are cold and long
I want safety, not applause
I want healing, not just cause
If you knew what I knew, you’d cry too
So don’t call me strong—call me true
Don’t call me strong—call me true
Just see the me behind the view
