A Day of Introspection

A Day of Introspection

I take a day of introspection,
and peel back all the paint
     that dictates bright eyes
     and forms charcoal sighs--
To see what I will see.

Layer upon layer falls away,
past whispers on the floor
      ostracized and lost,
      weak and double-crossed--
Masks without a host.

Even more strips are cast asunder.
I fear what I will find,
      when I reach truth's eyes,
      when I cannot hide--
I take a deep breath,

and remove the final blinding crust.

Feeling like a child in the big world
I blink at fresh sunlight.
      Unfiltered and pure,
      it reaches and cures--
I see with new eyes.

My first instinct is to cringe and hide
from myself and others.
      There is so much fear
      behind smiling mirrors--
And then it hits me.

Everyone is the same deep inside,
Craving the acceptance of
      their friends and peers,
      all dreading a sneer--
They layer on masks

to protect themselves.

And even as this realization comes
   I reach
      for paint.