Mask

We need to be who God created us to be so to put it bluntly stop lying about your life and just be your authentic self

### Mask

We walk onto a stage we call the real world every day,

But everybody’s playing a part, letting their true identities fade away.

We wake up in the morning and we reach for the disguise,

Before we even wash the heavy sleep out of our eyes.

We paint a plastic smile over a breaking, weary heart,

Afraid that if they see the cracks, our lives will fall apart.

It is a heavy, suffocating weight, this theater of the fake,

A constant, draining hustle for someone else’s sake.

We memorize the scripts of who we think we need to be,

And lock away the genuine, throwing out the key.

But let me tell you a secret that the masquerade won’t teach:

The truest form of freedom is within your very reach.

To the women looking in the mirror, constantly searching for a flaw,

Believing you must paint an image just to inspire awe.

You layer on the foundation, you contour and you blend,

Chasing after a standard that feels like a dead end.

But you do not need the makeup to prove your precious worth,

You were crafted as a masterpiece the very moment of your birth.

You are magnificent in the morning, with a bare and waking face,

Every freckle, every natural line is a testament of grace.

The mascara might be dark, and the lipstick might be bright,

But your spirit is the only thing that generates the light.

Take off the heavy armor, let the natural beauty show,

For the right one will adore you when your authentic embers glow.

You do not need to hide behind a painted-on facade,

You are already beautifully woven by the hands of God.

And to the men, puffed up with pride, rehearsing all your lines,

Thinking you must look like gold that brilliantly shines.

You soup up your titles, you exaggerate your daily grind,

Leaving the honest truth of your reality behind.

You fabricate the stories, the bank accounts, the cars,

Hoping that a fabricated life will elevate you to the stars.

You think she wants a superhero, a mogul, or a king,

So you lie about your status, hoping she will want your ring.

But my brothers, hear me clearly, you are building on the sand,

A connection born on a lie will never truly stand.

You don't need to inflate your worth to make somebody stay,

Because the truth of who you are is enough in every way.

If they only love the millionaire you are pretending to be,

Then they do not love the man; they only love the fantasy.

Why do we do this to ourselves? Why do we hide away?

Why do we fear the sunlight of our authentic, honest day?

When you wear a mask, you might receive the applause of the crowd,

You might hear them scream your fake name, echoing and loud.

But the love they give the mask will never reach your skin,

You will always feel a lonely, aching emptiness within.

Because how can you feel cherished when you’re standing in disguise?

How can you feel truly seen if they aren't looking in *your* eyes?

When you finally drop the charade, the fragile, plastic shell,

You release your heavy spirit from a self-created cell.

Yes, some people might walk away when the real you comes to light,

But let them walk, my friends, let them vanish in the night!

It takes a warrior’s courage to stand naked in the rain,

To show the world your joy, but also show the world your pain.

To say, "I am not perfect, I have stumbled, I have failed,"

To let your unvarnished, unfiltered humanity be unveiled.

It is terrifying, yes, to let the velvet curtain fall,

But a life lived in hiding is no kind of life at all.

For the ones who stay, the ones who anchor to your shore,

Those are the very people who will love you so much more.

They will love you for your stutter, they will love you for your scars,

They will love you when you're grounded, not just when you're in the stars.

They will love the honest woman, they will love the honest man,

A love that flows so deep, it was part of the master plan.

So reach up to your face today, and tear the mask apart.

Breathe in the rushing air of an undivided heart.

Be bold in your authentic truth, be unapologetic and free,

Step out of the shadows, and finally declare, "This is me."

> *"A love built on a disguise is just a hostage situation for the soul. Freedom only comes when you are brave enough to take off the mask and let the world love you exactly as you are."*

I am King poet