empty effort

I did everything right. Church on Sundays, grades that made teachers smile, head down, hands clean. But inside, I was cracking. No motivation. No fire left. Just emotions I memorized to keep people from asking too many questions. I woke up heavy. Walked through days like fog. Smiled when I needed to. But the truth? I was fading. Slowly. Quietly. Behind honor rolls and hallelujahs. No one saw me drowning because I never made a splash.