Masks Poem by Joyce Rugg

Who I am day to day is never the same
Some days an icy blizzard, others scorching flame
One minute a raging storm, the next a sunny day
Both the angel of the past and the ghoul of today
I am chaos and order; darkness and light
An internal struggle, an eternal fight
A paragon of madness, yet perfectly sane
Cursed, I carry this life, part blessing, part bane

A change of mask, a different play
Another act, new lines I say
I become who I am forced to be
Hardly ever simply me
Sometimes I try to fit their model of perfection
Other times I give up, go in my own direction

Full of anger, hardened by pressure and flame
Weak, despondent; drowning in sorrow and shame
Ravaged by reality; all is harsh and bleak
Filled with fantasy, a small taste of the escape I seek

Black and white, day and night
I embrace the shadows, but long for the light