Getting My Kicks

We all have problems,
some worse than others,
some not so hard,
some more than anyone
can bear.

I know what they really think,
that’s why I never go back,
at least here
no one cares
who or what I am,
besides,
in most cases
what they think is actually true,
I am strange,
I know that,
I’ve always known that,
that has never been the problem,
they don’t expect me to be strange,
it catches them off guard;

that’s where the problem comes in.

I am very good
at presenting this straight-laced persona,
I suppose it is deceptive,
but that’s what I have to do to get by,
I can’t wear it forever however,
sometimes I have to remove the mask
just to be able to breathe,
that’s when the silence and funny looks begin,
sometimes I don’t care,
sometimes I don’t even try to pretend,
sometimes I just look them straight in the eyes
and remove the veil,
just to watch the amazed looks
on their shocked faces,
then I hurry and put it back on,
so they are never quite sure
if what they saw was real or not;

we all got to get our kicks somehow.
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