EPINIKION: "OPINIONS" BY WORDWITHCH

Flaws made me crawl into my shell 

Talks made me an introvert 

Criticism made me who I am today

Persecution made me a shadow of myself 

...that's because I gave them the chance

I wore a mask of confidence, to conceal my fears

I wore a mask of perfection, to hide my tears 

I wore a mask of indifference, to shield my heart 

I wore a mask of courage, to play the part of a hero

But with each mask I wore, I lost a part of me 

A fragment of me went missing 

I became a shard of glass 

I became a shadow of myself 

They said be brave, be bold, be courageous 

So, I lifted up the mask of bravery

They said be thin, be dark, be tall

So, I wore back my mask of beauty

But the masks were heavy, the weight was crushing 

The pretense was killing, the makeovers were suffocating 

So, I longed to break free

I longed to show my face to the world 

I shed the mask off, and then revealed my beauty to the world 

I am a work of art, carefully crafted in God's image

I'm a piece that deserves to be showcased ....

I'm a beautiful, perfect and pleasant mosaic of me!

© WORDWITCH ✍️

- Nigeria 

The poet persona tells the story of her failures being the roads of encouragement and success. The voice says the opinion she has about herself matters. The speaker says she is beautiful and the world is seeing her glory by the Grace of God.