I am composed because I’m containing something

Dear Delyara, People often mistake my self-control for peace. It isn’t always peace. Sometimes it’s fear of what would happen if I let the anger out in a visible way. Sometimes it’s history. Sometimes it’s training. Sometimes it’s the knowledge that if I get emotional enough, my point will be ignored and my tone will become the story instead. So yes, I stay composed. But not always because I am calm. Often because I am contained.