I can no longer hide my despair
The happiness on
This mask I wear
A constant lie
Every second of my life
I jump off the ledge
With arms spread,
I take flight.
Carrying with me
My heavy load
The happy mask burns
It troubles me so!
I was the circus boy,
Flying on the trapeze
“He’s so amazing!
He does it with such ease!”
My apprehension was growing
Like nakedness, my fear showing
Nobody could tell,
My happy mask still on
As I fell
The crowd gasped!
A unison “whoosh” of air
I see dread on their faces
The children in despair
My mask comes off
For the very first time!
There’s blaring light,
Shining in my eyes…
There I lay,
On cold hard stone
My head still ringing
Where will my soul go?
My mask was still happy
Although broken in two
I feel free now,
As if I can begin anew.
The circus is panicked!
As I remain on the ground,
I could see them all shouting
But I couldn’t hear a sound
A quiet solitude
I feel at peace now
With this weight lifted off
A new joy has been found
My lips formed a smile,
For the very first time
Here at the end,
Of my lifetime of lies
J.A. Wine
