My mask

Final Show

 Stage was set from the start
Of who I was supposed to be
How I was supposed to act
Rules I was expected to follow

All lights on me
Waiting for a stellar performance
And I bring it
Lines remembered
Actions precise

I stand on that Mark
And I perform
The show of my life
Not one beat is missed

And when it’s all over
I stand before the crowd
And I WAIT
I await the applause
That never comes
I await the praise
That is never received

I stand before my audience
Scanning the crowd for
ONE sign of approval
I scan, peering from face to face
I scan, searching for approval
I SCAN
Seeking Confirmation, Acquiring Nothing

I take my bow, bending for
The last time toward others
I stand up, and walk away
I stand up, and walk towards
M...

My mask

 My Mask

My mask is beautifully decorated
with bright smiles and joyful eyes
yet underneath
beauty i do not see.
Hidden is the pain
the drama
erased only
to society
But isn’t my mask
BEAUTIFUL.
i cry each night
to moisten
the dry staleness
that once resembled
my flesh
pain etched in
crevices with my
deadly venom
harvested daily,
but isn’t my mask
BEAUTIFUL
I cough dust
powder remnants
of my parched
heart
I bleed tears for
my eyes refuse
to be my windows
of despair
But isn’t my mask
BEAUTIFUL
I know you see
it you state how
BEAUTIFUL
it is.
Oblivious
to my pain, my scars
fear
disappointment
solitude.
But that doesn’t matter
Cause My mask
is