Mask's Up

I wear a mask. It's not something I can take off. Not something I can remove. It's just stuck. A part of me. Appearances can be deceiving. I've heard that so many times. And so, I've never believed it false. This mask proves it's true. It's a mask of emotion, replacing one thing for another. Underneath, I feel too deep, feel too much. Pain and sorrow and wrath frequent the underneath. So much negativity hidden below. And yet, a painted on smile hides it all. Covering the underneath. The mask hides the pain, masks the sorry, and smothers the wrath. Now they are so hard to find, they may as well not exist. My mask works wonders, wonders made of falseness. But, hey, what's happiness without a bit of compromise? My mask is a part of me, too beloved to be destroyed. I've been told that I can take it off. That it's nothing but a pile of lies. But it's too close to me for removal. It's not a question of "Can?" It's a question of "Why?" Why should I take my mask off? It hides the underneath. Hides my vulnerabilities. I would rather live with my self deception. It's better than the cruelties that lie in wait.