“Are You Okay?”
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If I asked “are you okay”
Do you turn it into something you can’t say?
If I asked “are you sure”
Would you just lock it in a smile, nod, and walk away?
If I asked for “real”
Do you tell me what you think I won’t feel?
—or do you hide it where the wave breaks from its knot, in the quietest spot.
If I keep saying “I’m here”
Would you sit and use my shoulder to cry?
Or would you walk home alone, with the weight still digging in your side?
Cause I’d
Sit through the rain
If it meant you’re safe.
I’d hold your hand
If it meant I could stay.
I’d sit in the mud
If it meant you didn’t stand alone.
I’d repeat myself a million times
If it meant one of them reached you.
I’d hold the door open
Even when you can’t step inside.
I know there is silence,
The silence left behind.
One where you’re somewhere else entirely,
Even when you’re standing right in front of me.
I can’t let you fade.
So please—
can I truly ask
Are you okay?
(© 2026 Olivia Williams)