No end in sight

How does solitude work
in the midst of a crowd
beneath hollow smiles
and painful laughter
and swallowed tears
and you become numb
to the convulsing of your body
and the shortness of your breath
and you can't cry out the pain
but you can't stop either?
How does it find the weakest chord
of your heart
and the deepest pit
of your stomach
and leave an aching
in your soul
and let you go on living?