This mask that I wear
is such an unusual thing.
The weight is too much to bear,
and yet it is only held by a string.

All these flamboyant designs
are meant to draw people in.
These colors say I am just fine,
so I follow their lead and grin.

No matter how hard I try,
this string will not break.
I find myself asking why
I did this in the first place.

Like a bird in a cage,
like water in a dam,
I long to break free from this stage
where I star as a sham.

This mask that I wear
is but only a distraction.
It conceals all of the despair
with gems and attractions.

Underneath is not as pretty,
the colors are not so bold.
Almost void of positivity,
the air soon becomes cold.

The fabric that constructs this lie
is all too flimsy and frail.
If the right person were to walk by,
this string will surely fail.

But will they stay
for what is behind the mask?
Or will they walk away
from this troubled task?

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