Every day I wake up

My first thought is that I must put on my mask

I have to hide my imperfections for a society with a predilection towards perfection

I neglect food, sleep, my passions and needs

So that I can paint myself as charming, sophisticated, and beautiful

But I know that being truly beautiful is not this hard

Beauty is not on the shelves at Hollister, or being sampled at Sephora

Beauty is not hidden in your new vinyl record of a band you don't like

Beauty does not cost you time, effort, or money

Beauty is YOU, Beauty is ME

I am not the sum of this makeup and these clothes,

I am a singer, a lover, a movement maker and a world shaker

I am intelligent, strong, and I have a passion for knowledge that cannot be put out

I tell myself every day that THIS is who I am!

Not foundation and hairspray and vanity

But the world outside my door doesn't want my knowledge

Or my music, or my opinions

They want a pretty face

So I paint my mask with a heavy heart and hope that someday, things will start

To change