Mask Off

We inherited a mask

Worn by mothers and fathers

That came before us

A mask meticulously molded

To survive in a world

That doesn’t claim us

The chains of burden

Weigh heavy with

Obligations to honor

Ancestors never met

The ones who first

Molded this facade

As a means of protection

Thank you to the ones

Who saved us

By shielding their torment

With an empty smile

Meant to comfort those

Who inflicted misery

But I’ve never liked masks

Never wanted to hide

Life’s beautiful dichotomy

Of songs and cries

I refuse to be

Unseen by the world

Beneath this mask

Built tear by tear

Lies your worst nightmare

A mask wearer unfazed by

Society’s relentless need

To ignore its faults

Face me and all my glory

Witness my lack of restraint

Marvel at the beauty

Of my emotional range

Write think pieces on how

My similes prick at your

Concept of reality

Like a rose growing

In spite of the concrete

I am the manifestation

Of prayers said

On boat rides to stolen lands

The one they sent

To reclaim the voice

Snatched from the tongues

Of the silently broken

I was not chosen to

Be your attagirl who

Holds the hands

Used to strangle my identity

I will not soothe the mouth

Spewing venom-laced words

This disguise was never

Meant to be permanent

So this is my warning to you

The mask used to let

The world dream has been

Destroyed by the fire

Raging inside me

I no longer wear the mask