I wrote the poem below after witnessing someone judge another person a few days ago…
…simply because they couldn’t ‘see their disability’.
A reminder that so many carry invisible burdens: chronic pain, trauma, neurodiversity, exhaustion…
Not all struggles leave visible scars.
People are like icebergs.
So much remains hidden beneath the surface—
silent struggles, quiet dreams,
old wounds tucked beneath polite smiles.
You see only the tip—
the reaction, the mistake, the mood of the moment—
but you don’t see the sleepless nights,
the battles no one applauds,
the strength it takes just to stay afloat.
You are an iceberg too.
You carry entire seas beneath your calm.
You are stories and scars
that have shaped you.
So, keep this in mind…
Every iceberg has a history.
Everyone has a below.
Main – Photo by Michele Scala on Unsplash
