The Crack

by Malkeet Kaur

The crack in her mask

reveals the child within

afraid to speak,

lest teasing, mocking voices

chase her gaze away.

The crack in her disguise

bares her inner turmoil:

butterflies in her chest,

breath caught,

words lodged too tightly

to form the simplest sentence.

The crack in her veneer

exposes two selves,

one striding forward with confidence,

the other, vulnerable,

whispering of the day

she may fade into irrelevance.

The crack in her shield

uncovers her truth.

Cautiously, she unwraps it

only for the closest,

still hiding from the world,

afraid they’ll see

she is only a cipher.