The Mask

He was afraid, terrified.
The only thing he hid in the closet,
The only thing that could destroy him,
No, it cannot not see the light of the day,
Ever, he had thought.


He smiled wryly,
Remembering the creation of his masterpiece,
The focal point of his existence.
It had taken years, but he was resolute and skilled.
Intricate and true to life.
It had seemed iron-clad, impeccable,
Until now.


He was trembling,
How could anyone know?
Wasn’t he the master of deception?
No one was supposed to see through the veil,
His impenetrable facade,
No one was supposed to see his other side,
The real one, the hideous one.
The house of cards had come crashing down.


He felt vulnerable for the first time,
Everyone knew about him,
All because of one mistake,
Letting someone come too close,
Too close for comfort.
He had fallen into the devious trap of emotions.
In his bid to create the perfect mask to hide behind,
He had forgotten the human element,
His heart.


He stood on the cliff as he pondered,
Could he live with his real self?
With the vulnerability?
He laughed out loud and then took a step.
As he fell into nothingness,
He thought he had beaten everyone,
No one could reach him again,
The last laugh was his,
Little did he realize that it was his fear,
The fear of the world that had pushed him over the edge.

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