Love Poem: Masquerades
Raiah Reed Avatar
Written by: Raiah Reed

Masquerades

“I’m sorry.” 
No, you’re not. 
“I love you.” 
No, you don’t. 

Like Masquerades, 
We hide. 
Our faces. 
Our truths. 
Nothing is real, 
Not even you. 
The masks we wear, 
They’re facades we play. 
They are not us. 

You aren’t sorry, 
Or you wouldn’t have hit me. 
You don’t love me, 
Or you wouldn’t resent me. 
This dangerous dance must end. 
For both our sakes. 

I cannot walk through life without knowing, 
Seeing, even. 
I need you, 
End these games. 
Love me, 
Do not hate me. 
Please, not like you do in the masquerades.