Beneath the mask,

you’ll find me

hiding under scars of half-healed memories

I once tried to recreate.

My meditation becomes my shield,

a quiet refuge from enemies,

not escape, but retreat

protecting what little remains of me.

Beneath the mask,

you will see my fear

the trembling edge of letting someone near,

the reason vulnerability

so often slips away from me.

Beneath the mask,

I will show you

the power of fear,

how it lingers,

how shame and darkness

settle deep inside my core.

Beneath the mask

lives a child

longing to be chosen,

longing to be free,

yet broken by those

who weren’t who they claimed to be.

Beneath the mask,

the weight of trust betrayed,

the sting of promises shattered,

the anger that grows

from opening wounds to another

only to find

they saw the break,

and still chose to play.

Beneath the mask,

I no longer let strangers through my guard.

No man can be trusted;

they tear at the soul I once gave freely.

My own eyes deceive me.

Beneath the mask,

I retreat

to a place where silence holds me

a sanctuary,

where no one else

has access to me.