I pace back and forth down the hall past his classroom,
I peer in and hesitantly take a step inside
The moment our eyes meet I look away and stop myself

My finger tips linger near the keyboard on the screen,
I type up a paragraph, as my hands shake slightly
Only to delete the whole thing with one touch

I see him at the end of the day and he asks what's wrong
I open my mouth to speak, and then shut it
My struggle remains internalized

I don't have the heart to say what's wrong,
I don't have the heart to ask for help,