Mask On

Of every mask there is a face

Of every face there is a story

Unintentionally playing a game

Strongholds taking center stage

Welcome to my masquerade

Emotional Russian roulette

Which one will I wear today?

Spent so long in disguise

I lost myself, who am I?

Look alive on the outside

Underneath, emptiness inside

Obstruct your view, and mine

Barricades my face can hide behind

But not my eyes, they don’t lie

Pull the curtains, exit stage

Intermission, costume change

Remove my masks for the world to see

A sensitive human being

Wearing my heart on my sleeve

Grateful for his love, grace and mercy

No longer masked, God covers me

His word releases me from the sense of inadequacy 

As I step in to my true identity

Lights on

Audience of one

~ Carly Reed

 I’ll smile and grin

It’s to keep you out rather than let you in

Cover my sensitivity, keep it hidden

Beneath me— the feeling of crippling emotion

While showing the portrayal of perfection

Drawing an ever moving finish line of expectation

Masks are worn as a form of protection

They helped me manage, and became my companions

But only I could feel their battle within me

And sometimes friends become enemies 

Invisibly turning on me, internally

Rumination is always personal, pervasive

Focused on my shortcomings, purely negative

Relapsing repeatedly in my own head

Using masks as shields built walls around my heart

They tumble down as I fall apart 

Some things feel safe but keep you blind

It’s myself I eventually didn’t recognize

Time to say goodbye

~ Carly Reed