“The Mask I Keep” In shadows deep, where whispers dwell, I craft my mask, a fleeting shell, Each smile a thread, each glance a veil, To hide the heart that quakes and pales. The laughter dances, bright yet frail, While truth retreats, a ghostly trail, In rooms adorned with chatter's grace, I wear my spirit’s false embrace. Behind the eyes, a tempest spins, A world of doubt, where silence grins, I guard my thoughts, like buried gold, Afraid to show what lies untold. For fierce are winds that seek to tear, The fragile seams of what we wear, I walk this path, both brave and meek, Yet yearn to share the pain I seek. The mirror holds a stranger’s gaze, Reflections wrapped in muted haze, A fleeting spark, then dimmed to gray, I hide the real me—day by day. But in the twilight, shadows play, A voice emerges—slow, okay, To shed the skin, to brave the storm, To find the light, to feel the warm. So here I stand, with tethered dreams, Peeling layers, unraveling seams, Though fear may grip, I’ll take my chance, To be the truth, to join the dance.
