The Unveiling

This life is a bit crazy.

It knocks us down. So, we build borders, fences, walls, and masks to keep us safe.

But then we end up all alone, so we peek out of our little world, peeping like a baby bird.. Mamma? Food? Love?

At first, it seems nobody hears us. Then.. sort of magically, someone does. Someone hurt just like we were, who understands our walls and doesn't judge us for our masks.

They truly love us, because they know they can heal us. It is the most glorious thing ever!

But eventually, they end up being human and hurting us, tripping us, forgetting us, ghosting us, ignoring us, denying us.. But of course! Isn't that how it works? They're just being human too!

So, we curl up in the corner, hoping they'll come be who we need them to be.. who we thought they could be.. who we thought they were!

But they don't come.. as we need them to be. Maybe they don't come at all. Maybe its time to build some more walls. To change the mask. To give up a little bit more.. this time.

And the cycle continues, each time the walls fortified and the mask layered over with a new one. Eventually, its impossible to know who or what lies beneath it all.

Finally, we either rip it off, risking all the pain that entails, or we carefully, methodically, intentionally craft it away, piece by piece, until we appear again, not really caring much any more about all those things that used to matter. Or.. the mask is forcibly removed, against our will as our time comes to its end, unveiling something? someone? No.. nothing, no one. Only you!

-----

That was supposed to be the end.. of my story. But for some reason I was implored to go on.. to write more. To try to get to 600 words! I was only at 297. Now 323. This is MY LIFE! And the story isn't over yet. Apparently 297 words just wasn't enough. My life needed more.. something else.. someone else? who knows!?

But mask or no mask, the words continue.. the march goes on.. the band keeps playing.. the dancers surrounding me with their merry, silly, almost taunting ways, as if to say, "You foolish little one: Dance on while you can because someday you'll wish you did! Write on while you can because someday you'll look back at it with a tear in One eye! One step in front of the other, as you muster up just enough to take the next One.. and maybe One more after that!"

I hear you. But.. BUT WHAT? How can you even let One keep you down like that. Don't you have hope? Can't One restore your courage to go on and faith that love and goodness matters again.. even a little bit?

How? I don't know. I guess its just time to unveil, whether I like it or not. Time for nothing to matter much anymore, so I can see through all this nonsense and reveal the deep truths. Time to unveil. Time to unmask. Time to live again.

Without the gentle sweet love of One. All alone.. again, today. Would I have traded it all for naught? I guess so, today. Would I trade all my days for just One more? I guess so, today.

But the mask remains, I guess, today. Just One more layer left to unveil. Only One. Without One where would I be? Who would I be? One more! More One! Who knows?! Only a single ONE!