How Many

Every day, i hear the people around me laughing

i hear the next joke circling around

the different groups of my peers joking around with each other

i see the smiles on their faces

but how deep do they travel?

is it just a smile on the surface to hide whats underneath

or are you really smiling?

how many people are just smiling to keep others from asking "whats wrong?"

how many people are just trying to find a way to get help,

but they're too afraid to ask?

and how many people are too concerned with their own problems

to ask if anyone else needs help?

how many people have ever really realized that

there is always someone more miserable than they are,

and that that person may be standing right next to them?

everyone should stop to think about how small their problems really are,

compared to the problems others face.

there are people without homes,

just looking for a decent place to sleep.

there are those who have noone left

to help them through the crisis that they face everyday.

they are so many other disasters,

but how many of us really notice?

how many of us really ever think about the disasters happening right next to us?

what has to happen before we finally open our eyes

to the dying world around us?

how many people have to die before we come together,

as a nation, or a family.