Behind the curtain

and the mask,

people often ask

yet I am uncertain.

Should I show them the me

that leaves breadcrumbs when

no one is near

and lies about not being present

when a friend needs an ear?

What's pulling me back

they ask and

I sneer

The true face of the me

that people would jeer.

 

So I close the curtain

and hope for the best,

for I don't want friends who detest

the real me, just a person

who loathes loneliness

and wants applause

and satisfaction

that only a fraction

of people who also hide behind

the curtain

will know.