Excuse Masks

Layer upon layer thrown upon me,

anchoring me to expectation.

Thick like empty canvases,

covering me like burial shrouds,

it gets harder to breathe underneath.

You paint each canvas with your words,

and I’m drowning in acrylics and oils.

You don’t look autistic,

you’re not organized enough to have ocd,

You’re fat because you’re lazy and anti-social,

Pcos is an excuse.

You can’t possibly have all these things,

You just need attention.

You sew masks onto my face,

And I start to suffocate,

feeling like a facetious imposter.

Word after word,

doubt after doubt,

weights on my ankles,

sinking me into the earth,

burying my convictions.