you walk into your room,  

the weight of the world still clinging to your skin,  

and begin to undress, 

piece by piece, you let your clothes fall,  

naked, you step into the quiet of your bathroom,  

your hands trembling as they rest on your face.  

you pull at the first mask, ripping it off,  

and so it goes, 

the second mask slips away,

and then the third,

you clutch and peel,  

desperate to see what lies beneath, 

you claw and twist,  

each mask, a betrayal,  

a lie, 

finally, you stare into the mirror,  

your face stares back,  

raw, bleeding, unfamiliar, 

you look into your eyes and shiver, 

you knew her, 

you had always known her,  

you touch your skin,  

flinching at the sting of raw tenderness,  

but you do not look away, 

you knew her, 

you recognized her, 

“it’s time to come home,” you whisper, 

“safe journey,” you say,  

as you begin to remember,  

to return, 

“iyare,” you breathe,  

and the journey begins, 

back to the self you were always meant to be.