And the Mask comes Off

They walk past each other carelessly striding with false intentions

The warmth of the sun is missed, the peaceful sky

There’s a bird and then there’s not

Every second melts away—no way to get it back

No way to get it back

The sandal of a girl suffocates the forget-me-nots but they stand tall—resilient

But They don’t notice

I do though

I notice everything

Soft smiles and sly glances at most are exchanged

They avoid eyes and whisper to themselves

For if they hold a gaze for too long it will fall

I stare too long and this time you stare back

I’m caught off guard with the recognition

I wonder if it is that easy?

To show you who I am

I’ve walked a thin line—believe me I have

I assume you have too deeming us not so different, you and I

I feel the weight of the limitations and the judgments for my sex

I wonder if you’ll ever be able to understand that

And yet even if so there’s still my culture and my past

That regardless of our similarities would make me far different from you

But I can feel the humanity that pulsates beneath both our veils

I’ve known love it was my friend, but it was not real

I’ve known hate—that, that was real

I speak the language of the shadows and you say you understand

I’ve eaten my own heart over and over again just to get used to its pain

Now I like it and it scares me

I see myself but I can’t bear to look

Who knows if I’ll be able to handle it

You say you can

But you can’t, you see

There’s a war in my mind and there’s one in yours too

The difference is I’m losing

 I’d like to see you try though

But will it be different?

I’m not so sure—reason enough though, you go first

So ill take off my mask

Tell me what you see

And then the Masks come off

Behind closed doors

Deep in the shadows

Late late into the night

The masks come off

We see what we want and only that

But what, my love, if the mask comes off?