I Wear a Thousand Masks

I wrote this when I was a teenager. It's still true today.

I wear a thousand masks;
none of them the same.
They cover up who I really am,
lest I be hurt again.
Each mask looks so real,
like its really me
but every mask that I wear
is only who I want to be.
The real me is hidden,
put away on the shelf
of pain, hurt, regret
replaced by beauty, smiles and wealth.
I wear a thousand masks,
so try not to be surprised
when you find out that these faces
are not really mine.