This Mask I Wear

Life starts again
It is time for me to begin
Once more I ready my body
My heart beats steady, the process is starting
Clothes pulled over my skin
Covering the scars that burn from within
Shoes tied tight, as my father taught
My feet must be ready for the long walk
Gloves to mask my filthy hands
Whose treachery mustn’t be seen by any man
I look into the mirror
To peer deep within my own soul, absent of fear
Cold and faded, my image mutilated
The truth is ugly, beyond repair
Onto the final piece of armor I must wear
A mask sewn from lies so black
A necessary measure to protect myself from the pack
What I am, locked away
A new me I had to make
The world is cruel, they rip and pull
The heart from your very flesh
Unless you mask your soul
Dead inside, my lies continue to grow