Deliverance

Behind my mask the misery dwells
Only sometimes seeping through the cracks
When I attempt a smile
And the plaster breaks
The mask covers the hideousness that lies behind
Smothering me
Suffocating me until I can no longer breathe
The air from my lungs is trying so hard to find a path
To escape
It hurts
to

breathe

Is it really worth the effort
After all the labor for one breath
I now suffer through another
I ponder the new thought
Of giving in
But force it away as I
Force another breath
Another smile
I can feel the mask cracking
Around my lips
An idea has often floated around my
Troubled mind
Break through the mask
Let it go
Take it off
Show yourself
Even the hideousness that
Hides
Smile freely
But the mask is now cemented firmly
Refusing to break
It was then you saw me
Struggling
You came to me
You broke me completely
All so I could be free
Of that affectation
At first, the shattered mask left pieces behind
Left patches of the old
People called out names
Hypocrite
Then you took my face in your hands
Washed it clean
Scrubbed away the broken pieces from that
Dirty Mask

Gone

I smiled

Nothing broke
I exhaled
The breath danced through every part of me
I spoke
Words of praise escaped my joyful lips
I opened my eyes
And saw you standing there
My heart stopped
Tears formed in my eyes
My stomach was turning
For you were wearing that very mask
You had liberated me from
You took it upon yourself
To deliver me from burning