You awake to the songs of the birds
You feel a gust of wind as you open your window
The allure of nature strikes your soul
All of Earth’s beauties lie before you
What will you do with this day?
You seem to feel joy, even excitement
But a wave of fear rushes through
Your smile is erased, your thoughts show worry
What is it that you’re afraid of?
Where has your smile gone?
You go about your day
You wear a serious face, void of happiness
Through this neutral gaze, your emotions are a mystery
What lies within that mind?
What is it that you’re scared to show?
You see a familiar face
Your eyes lighten, your lips bend to a smile
The fear of this day leaves you
Still, you hold back
Your smile shows no teeth
Your laugh dwindles to a gust of breath
Your hopeful voice is imbued with a monotone ring
Are you even trying to change?
You can see what you’re doing, can’t you?
You’re depriving the world of your emotion
With all the love and gratitude you know
All the pain, the beauty, the kindness
Every stroke of vibrancy
Painted with your brush of compassion
Don’t you think the world deserves to see this?
The canvas remains blank
Your face remains empty
Your eyes hold an eternity of yearning
Your blood flows with unfathomable love
All prove to beat a drum that goes forever unheard
Are you truly happy within this confinement?
You’re free to live, to love, to laugh
Yet you barely live, you’re scared to love
And when you laugh, you’re quick to fall silent
You’re scared to be happy, so will you at least cry?
Are you able to form a frown with that stone face?
Are your eyes able to be vulnerable and weep?
Are your tears lavished with emotions you don’t show?
Do those tears hold any substance at all?
You sit now in darkness and silence
This environment is familiar
The light to escape this sorrow lies within
Yet, you sit, and you sigh
Your mind is blank
You’ve suppressed your emotions for so long
You are unable to call upon them
You are a stranger to your own mind
What are you doing with this life?
With all your knowledge, your understanding, your wisdom
You’re unable to comprehend why you live this way
The greatest mystery is you
Who are you? What are you?
You once knew the answer to these questions
But now, your mind is corrupted
Your body and soul ache and yearn
You stand before yourself
You scream the questions,
“Who am I? What is my purpose?”
The echo of those questions permeate
The only answer is your blank face
You continue to search, and seek emotion
“Where is my smile? Where are my tears?”
You can’t unmask what you seek
So you choose to let it be
And wait for time to heal you
Perhaps the sands of time will erode these masks of stone
And through these fractures, your light will shine
You will face darkness no more
Or maybe you’ll remain a stranger to yourself
Bound to seek out what lies within
Only able to see a reflection of what was
You look in the mirror, your face is unchanged
While the many faces you hide, all cry
And plead to be let out, if only for a moment.
Will you ever set them free?