Intact
Not every mask is worn to deceive. Some are built slowly, shaped by expectation, survival, and the desire to belong. Intact is a meditation on authenticity, boundaries, and the courage to remain whole in a world that often rewards self-editing.
Intact
The mask was never cruel.
It was careful.
A skill learned
the way some people learn to read the sky—
watching faces,
adjusting tone,
staying a half-step ahead
of discomfort.
After a while,
stillness felt dangerous.
Like the electric hush before lightning—
Like a held breath
with nowhere to go.
Unmasking did not feel brave.
It felt unrehearsed.
Like stepping into a room
without armor.
Too much.
Too quiet.
Too intense.
Too distant.
Some left.
Those who mattered
stayed.
Not because I learned
the right shape.
Not because I softened
every edge.
They stayed
when I stopped translating myself.
When no became a complete sentence.
When tenderness remained visible.
When my boundaries did too.
What belongs to me
does not require performance.
What is meant for me
does not require rehearsal.
And what cannot recognize me—
I let it pass.
I am not here
to be universally understood.
I am here
to remain intact.