My Mask Poem by Talin Ainissesthai

As the sun rises, I don my mask
People see what they want to see
I hide what I truly feel and put on a show for them
Becoming a face of calmness and warmth
An empty smile, a forced laugh

Emotions wreck havoc throughout my body
Raging until finally the sun sets
And the darkness of the night engulfs us

My mask slips away
And the tears I have held in trickle down my face
My illusion of calmness finally shatters
The hurt and the pain tear me apart
And the loneliness inside of me breaks my heart

But no one sees what happens in the dark
So when morning breaks, I can again don my mask.