Okay

"How are you?"

He asks her

She smiles

as she always does

when questions are asked

She thinks,

answer yes

and lie

at least he wouldn't

worry

Or answer no,

tell the truth,

but he'll want to know

the reason

Her smile has now

faded

and the seconds are passing

she knows he's waiting for her

answer

And as he looks at her

he notices every thing

even the slightest shift

in her expression

But she doesn't know that

he notices

for she thinks

he's dumb,

ignorant,

like all the other men

So she chooses her reply

shrugs and says,

"I'm okay"

smiles again

to say, she's not

He thinks she knows that

he knows

its an act

but she doesn't

So he asks

no more questions

instead giving her

the time and space she needs

before she can tell him

She thinks

he doesn't care

like all the other men

stupid,

dumb,

ignorant