The Light Sees Behind The Mask

The machine beeped. A small, sharp sound that stopped the air in the room.

You smiled, you laughed it off, you slid the plastic back into your pocket like it was nothing. But inside, the heat rose.

The mask slid into place. You are acting okay while your hands are shaking.

You are performing sufficiency while the truth sits heavy in your gut. The light sees the performance.

It sees the smile you are holding together with sheer will. And it does not look away in disappointment.

It looks at you with the quiet knowing of someone who has worn the same mask. You think you must fix the account before you can be loved.

You think you must hide the lack. But the light is not waiting for your balance to clear.

It is already here, in the awkward silence, in the declined transaction, in the shame you are trying to swallow. You do not have to carry this alone.

The weight is too much for one person. Let the mask fall.

The light is not impressed by the act. It is drawn to the honesty underneath.