by Lara Giulia
don’t get fooled by the laughs
all the loud laughter and throwing heads back
it’s a mask
one that’s been crafted
carefully
over the years
perfected
to fool everyoneÂ
to fool you
maybe even myself
it weighs heavy on my face
sometimes it lightly cracks
but I put it right back into place
it got broken before
gently taking off layers
for others that fooled me
but not with their masks
with their intentions
so will I ever take off the mask
that shows everyone exactly what they need to see
not too little
not too much
just perfect
but not me
I have learned my lesson
I am learning my lesson
so whenever I find myself taking off a layer again
I get shown why I shouldn’tÂ
so next time I make sure I add extra layers
and whenever my mask slightly cracks, I put it back into place
© Lara Giulia 2023-10-21