The Mask I Hide Behind

**a poem about acceptance of one's self**

I put up a front so you don’t have to know it
I lock up my heart so I won’t have to show it
I hide my face so the world’ll never know
Just what I am afraid to show

The Mask that I hide behind
Helps keep you out of my inside
But somehow you just seem to see
The screwed-up side of me that I keep

I was afraid to let someone in
Terrified to show them where I have been
Afraid that I would be hurt like before
And my broken heart couldn’t take it anymore

The Mask that I hide behind
Protects me from being too blind
Giving me the eyes to see
But somehow all I can see is me

Patience us one key to have
With me it’s just too late, too bad
A worthless face, a hollow embrace
Don’t waste your time, energy, or space

The Mask that I hide behind
Helps keep my feelings on the side
So that, clearly, I can see
Hide your feelings away from me

I glare into the mirror, staring at my face
But all I seem to see is many a hollow space
With nothing to fill them, I almost give up hope
But somehow you want to fill them and help me cope

The Mask that I hide behind
Hurts me because I cannot find
All the love that you have there
And all that ways you would show you care

Glancing back through my memory banks
I think of all the people to give my thanks
They helped remove the make from me
So now, truly, I can finally see

The Mask that I hide behind
Never helped me; just made me blind
Hindered my sights of the world I can see
I have found the love hiding inside of me