Once I believed that this mask would protect me,

It would protect me from the entire world’s pain,

But I was wrong.

Now I remove my mask,

Wipe away the smeared mascara,

And let the fake smile slip away.

I decide to reveal the true me,

Smile because I am happy,

Laugh because something is funny

After all my years hidden,

I can now see the real me,

The one the mask couldn’t portray.

I am free to express myself,

Passionate about things others won’t stand up for,

Yet I am lost in this world of inquiry.

When I walk, I do not walk with the crowd.

When I smile it is because I know I survived,

When I look at me, I see what I faced

I know I am not like the others who surround me.

Though I see I am who I want to be,

Unique and free to be the real me.

That Barbie doll mask no longer hides me,

It no longer protects me,

But it is for the best because I get to be me.

To be alive and free

This I wish upon thee,

The real me.