They ask
“Why so broken?”

and they answer
with a sad smile

“How could I not be?”

The friend stares
with sad eyes
and no words
that could help
or comfort
because she knows
nothing can help
her broken comrade

because words
cannot fix
a broken home
or bad grades
or self loathing
or depression

Maybe in time
after they have healed
those words will help
but not here
not right now