I Leave My Mask On Now
I am become what I appear to be.
I leave my mask on now.
It has melted onto me and into me.
Stuck to my soul, I loathe it and love it
and breathe it and knead it.
Shaping it into the me I will be.
I leave my mask on now.
Unable to face my unmasked me
If you see the break between semblance and self
Change the subject and leave it be. It's only the me
I want you to see. It's not the me
I want me to be.
I leave my mask on now.
I hang my head, hot tears follow,
Flowing onto my mask.
Not onto me. I do not feel
protected.
You will not know
You bear witness to the wane
as my face as facade fades into
my facade as face.
I leave my mask on now
forever.
About the Creator
John R. Godwin
Sifting daily through the clutter of my mind trying to create something beautiful.
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
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Comments (8)
We all wear masks, do we not, and are usually more comfortable in doing so. Your poem speaks of such things so well. Haunting and enchanting, like a beguiling specter in the night.
Dang! This gave me chills! What an unfiltered dose of haunting truths. Your level of word weaving is mastery. Easy to see why this made the leaderboard. Kudos on your 'more than worthy' acknowledgment! *Don't ever stop writing*
To me this reads like the antithesis, the anti-hero, the dark side of the idiom "fake it til you make it'. A warning. A poetic purgatory for all who must mask rather than choose to mask. Congratulations on your HM.
Wow. This is beautiful earnest and a little sad. Incredible entry. Well done on your honourable mention!
Wooohooooo congratulations on your honourable mention! 🎉💖🎊🎉💖🎊
Congrats on your honorable mention🎉🎉
Good one! ⚡️💙⚡️
This is so haunting and beautifully written. You’ve really captured the tragedy of hiding behind a mask until it becomes part of you.