Masquerade

I’m here in my mask.
Hiding my face, my feelings, so I don’t have to explain.
In this masquerade ball.
Unbreakable steel happy mask.
Happiness to hide the pain.
No I won’t stick out at all.

This masquerade.
That we call life.
Where everyone hides behind their own specially carved mask.
Afraid.
Of being unprotected, of getting in strife.
Of people seeing what really lies behind that fake, smiling mask.

I once hid behind a mask.
Much like the one you wear today.
Going through this masquerade.
All too scared to ask;
Why can’t we just say, hey I’m not okay.
But for too long I continued to stay behind my mask while my emotions became even more frayed.

When I realised;
Hiding feelings
Showing people what they wished to see
Boxing feelings up, all expressions but happiness neutralised.
It’s all a show my darlings.
You know this, and so do we.

Because everyone hides in the masquerade.
At some point in time.
We all fake the smile, until we come to see.
We don’t need to keep up this charade.
Unhappiness is not a crime.
So come out of the masquerade with me.