My Mask

Do you like my mask

All the pretty colors

It changes with the seasons

Always showing the right thing

My mask is my armor

It tells everyone I’m ok

Hides the imperfections

Keeps them at arm’s length

There are different masks for different occasions

Work mask

Friend mask

Family mask

And the one I wear everyday

What do they have in common

They show you want I want

The illusion I provide

All of them smile

And tell jokes to make you laugh

Why do I wear a mask

Because when I show the truth

People run and hide

Medications and lifestyle changes I’ve already tried

Presented as the secret to success

But what does those so called changes bring

More doubt

More self-loathing

Another mask to match what you want

I would rather wear a mask than listen to your help

I would rather wear a mask than feel your pity

I would rather wear a mask than ask for help

I would rather not need a mask

Others wear a mask

Your funny friend

It’s a mask

Your wise friend

It’s probably a mask

Because wisdom and cheer are the best masks of all

They provide smoke and mirrors for what lies beneath

The trauma and vices they push deep down

When the mask falls off or the wearer gives up

People always say there was no signs

But there were

You just didn’t see them

Because the mask did its job

The mask hid the truth

The mask kept them safe

But the mask is just a mask

It hides not fixes

It soothes all but those wearing it

It can crack and break

And on the wrong day sometimes the mask is just too much to bear.