Mask

a poem by Rashi Agarwal

We see each other everyday
And even in a museum
You regard me as the most alluring art
But you don’t realise what I wear is a mask

I don’t blame you though
Because you see this isn’t the usual mask
It doesn’t protect you from falling sick
Nor from the cold wind
It keeps me from falling apart

It isn’t the kind of mask you wear
When you want to play games and deceive
The kind I wear because I’m scared what will happen if I take it off

But I don’t wear this mask everyday
For now I don’t have to
I’ve worn it for so long
It’s become a part of me now

And now when I when have someone
Who really tries to get how my demons daunt in the dark
Forgive me, for I don’t know who I am
Without this outer facade, my beloved mask