A bag of sadness she carries
it hides behind a deceptive smile

Sometimes she can put the bag to one side
but it’s always there
waiting in the wings

Sometimes the bag is light
but often it is full and difficult to carry
and the strain can be seen in her face

Occasionally she will be offered help
but it is her bag
and only she knows how to carry it

In the past the bag has been lost
but it’s never gone for long
it always finds its way back

you bring imagery but the words themselves doesn't go very well together, maybe it lacks rhymes ?

This poem carried me along with the emotions of the lady. I like poems that reach my heart. This one did.

This is my old teacher saying this rather than me when I authored a poem about the ocean years ago which could work here too where I put in too many references to the ocean.

It's worth considering this seriously as it can remove the reputation that can sometimes overload the piece.

On a positive note, I do like this and suspect it would go down live and I really felt the pain and emotion in this piece. Good stuff.

I liked it. Sadness can be a heavy emotion to carry. We just have to carry it until we are ready to let it go. Marla