The Mask We Wear
A poem
Beneath the veneer of my public face,
a kaleidoscope of personas awaits.
Each one a carefully crafted mask,
donned to navigate the social task.
In the boardroom, I don a stoic guise,
projecting power, concealing my cries.
With friends, a playful mask is there
laughing freely, my true self laid bare.
But when faced with societal norms,
I retreat behind protective forms.
The mask of propriety, rigid and cold,
obscuring the truths I cannot unfold.
This dance of personas, a constant play,
hiding the essence of who I am each day.
Am I truly me, or merely a facade?
A reflection of what others think I should?
The lines blur, authenticity fades
as I navigate the masks that society made.
Yet, within, a glimmer of the real still burns,
yearning to break free, for my soul to return.
I long to shed these carefully crafted guises,
and embrace the person my heart truly prizes.
To be seen, to be known, without fear or shame,
this is the ultimate quest, my enduring aim.
For in the space
where masks no longer reign,
lies the path to self-acceptance,
where I can reclaim myself.
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