Found the little creature where the wild grass grows
Played a game of doctor, thought it’d be a thrill
Didn’t think its going still would give you such a chill
You asked me why I’d done it, your eyes searching for regret
But all your gaze met was neglect and disconnect
Emotions were an outfit I never learned to wear
But something in the air, something in your stare
Something about the inflection in the way you asked
Made me wanna start to grow this painted cast
Behind
The mask is a term from the study of psychopathy: Hervey Cleckley’s The Mask of Sanity (1941) describes the psychopath as wearing a convincing mask of a normal, feeling person over an inner void.
, where the void resides
Beyond the smile, where the darkness hides
The mask protects, the mask conceals
A trusted shield no light can pierce
I walk among you, ever unknown
Emotions borrowed, never my own
An empty vessel, a hollow shell
Behind the mask I wear so well
In classrooms filled with chatter, I learn to imitate
The smiles I fabricate, every timing up to date
Friends I manipulate, with smiles I decorate
Trust becomes a token in the games I orchestrate
Whispers in the hallway, secrets that I seize
Manipulating hearts with calculated ease
They’ll never catch the tricks hidden up my sleeves
Scheming moves in silence while pretending to appease
Behind the mask, where the void resides
Beyond the smile, where the darkness hides
The mask protects, the mask conceals
A trusted shield no light can pierce
I walk among you, ever unknown
Emotions borrowed, never my own
An empty vessel, a hollow shell
Behind the mask I wear so well
Now I walk among the crowds, a face lost in the sea
Corporate ties and alibis all play into my spree
A handshake seals the deal, affection seals their fate
Empathy’s a currency I counterfeit and inflate
Sometimes I ponder my design, thinking whether I should resign
But unmasking what’s inside, would mean the end of mine, yeah maybe not this time
Trust me, darling, you wouldn’t want to see what lies within