Mask: A Poem

By Honey B




Mask
I wake up.
Time to put on my mask.
Time to pretend it’s fine.
Time to do all the tasks 
the teachers tell me
because I have to listen.
Under my mask.

I walk into school.
My mask is wearing down.
Feeling vulnerable and scared.
Quiet.
I fall.
My books fall down to the ground.
Cracks in my mask.

I cry. 
My knees and hands hurt.
Everyone sees.
My mask is falling off.
I hug my knees
to my chest. 

I get up. 
I do my best
to keep my composure.
To the bathroom I go
attempting to shelter my broken,
falling mask.
Broken.
Fallen.

I go home.
Sit on the bus.
Everyone yelling, 
making my mask 
crack through the scotch 
tape. 

Off the bus.
My sisters and brother 
wait for me.
My mom hugs me.
My brother slugs me.
I go to my room
to try and repair my 
broken mask.

I can’t fix it
try as I might.
No one sees the mask
but I won’t go without it.
More tape 
more tape
until the cracks don’t show.
No more cracks
in the mask.