The Mast I Wear

You think you know the real me, but you really don't. What you see on the outside is nothing but a mask. I live under this mask, hiding myself from the world. Burying my soul underneath my pain that I hide. I wish I could show you what lies beneath. But I'm afraid you will desert me, leave me like a child leaves an old toy. My pain is to overwhelming for even you. But it soothes me to know that I can keep it hidden. I know others have replaced their masks or show you their true selves. Yet I can’t part with mine. It’s almost like another body part to me, like a leg or an arm. I try to discard it but I always find myself running back to it. Maybe someday I can reveal myself to you. But at this moment I feel safe inside my dungeon of pain. When I do leave my mask and step into the real world, you will be the first to know