followed around
by old ghosts, self-
imposed and otherwise
changing the face of tomorrow
by wearing a new mask today
i occasionally fool them
into thinking i’m someone
other than myself
gaining freedom
by losing identity
only to find
those ghosts
my only friends
ultimately, fooling myself
into loneliness
trying to find
peace of mind
pretending to be alive
hiding from the dead
for a little while
but underneath
my face is still mine
so
when i remove the mask
my ghosts always find me
©2022—JDCIV
Drunk on Metaphors 