Thank you.  I actually did not intend to write this last night.  There is another piece that has been bouncing around in my head (similarly themed, but less melancholy), but this one blurted out instead.  Obviously it does reflect on my state of mind and recent feelings though, so again, thank you for your kindness.

I don't consider myself a writer or poet.  I did write some for school and then a few pieces after, but that was 20+ years ago.  I have actually never used reddit before (gasp) and sought out this subreddit as a means of catharsis.  My biggest challenge so far has been having to provide feedback for others for which I feel woefully under-qualified.  

Tomorrow is another day!

The thing about a poem like this, is that it only invites reassurance and sympathy, which is fine I guess if that's what you're after, but there's no room left for analysis.  As David Chase would say, it's awfully on the nose.

But I do sincerely hope you feel better tomorrow!

Harness that sadness you're feeling and flesh this idea out more. Explore your thoughts. "receding/ repeating/ endlessly." That's a very concise description of recurring depression. Why do you feel the pain you feel? Put it down. Great foundation. Love (help).

Thank you for the kind words and for taking the time to share your thoughts on this.   I think your analysis is great.

I realize the (help) sort of breaks the flow you mentioned (going back from the answer to the question).  However, I felt that while the previous lines do convey what the person is hiding behind their reply, those feelings are an old wound and the pain is so great it is overwhelming and numbing.  Those words are just fleeting thoughts that would never be spoken, it's too much, not something you could possibly convey to someone, especially given the almost casual question.  However, that last parenthetic word, delivered just after the spoken quote, is a whisper from within, pleading in that moment for the questioner to see, to notice, to look past the lie.  A word they want to say, desperately, but can't.     

I don't think I articulated that very well, but it is close I think.  Thanks again.

I think this piece is cooler than others here are giving it credit for because it forces reader participation and through that a bit of empathy.

In particular the title asks a question, "How are you". The first few lines give answers, but the penultimate line is put in quotes, indicating that it is the only one spoken. The reader has to go back and imagine this little q and a knowing that sadness eternal is what they as the narrator surrogate want to say but that "I'm okay" is what they do say.

This idea of people especially depressed people not opening up about their feelings is a fairly standard one, but I thought this was a neat little implementation if that in poetry.

The one thing that doesn't work at all for me is "(help)" just because it seems superfluous to what the piece has just already done.

sadness  
overflowing  
receding   
repeating  
endlessly  
loneliness   
despair  
'I'm ok'  
(help)  
&amp;nbsp;
&amp;nbsp;
  
  
[F1](https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/5dkuj7/inconvenience/da6mg0s/)  
[F2](https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/5diewp/she_he_i/da6mu4x/)  

How are you?