Empty stages,
Audience no more—
What’s there left to act?
I can finally be myself now,
No spotlight to chase, no applause to crave.

Hindrance of being myself
Enjoyed by many people,
The curtain rises, but it’s never me;
The feeling of validation
Has always been taking control.

Can I finally be myself now?
There is no one watching,
No gaze to mold my form,
Fleeting moments, free of acting—
A breath long denied, now released.

Dear me, the stage is now empty.
But will I know who I am
Without their cheers or silent stares?
In the quiet, in the stillness,
Can I find what’s been lost beneath the masks?



© Tin11616