Unmasking

Another day, another mask to wear, it feels so heavy, yet comforting.
In all honesty, I could no longer remember those days when I didn't wear one.
Maybe, it's better that way-so no one could see the horror that lies beneath.
But my soul was weary, how long should I keep this act?
How long will I pretend to be someone I'm not?
Maybe, that's why I'm burdened with this and that.
After all, I'm living the life of someone I'm not.

In the end, I just want to take this mask off.
But in that moment, I remember those words thrown at me:
"You should be more like this"
"Things would be better if you didn't do that"
"Why can't you be like someone else"
In the end, I decided to keep it on.
After all, no one deserves to see what lies beneath.

As soon as I was about to leave, a gentle voice told me to take off the mask.
At first, I did not want to-after all, I was already ashamed of myself.
But the gentle voice reassured me
"I was loved and accepted, no matter what"
So I decided to take the mask off and stepped into the unknown.

As the calm breeze touched my bare face,
I realized that I was finally free.
No amount of shame could hide me from the fact that I was loved.
And then, I realized that the world will try to put me behind my mask once again.
With piercing criticisms and insults concealed behind all sorts of veneers.
I decided that enough was enough, so I continued to live without a mask.
And it felt good.

I do wonder though, how many masks do we have to wear?
To realize that in the end, we didn't need them at all.