My Mask and I

By Winnie Louise Sjoquist

I’m told that I must open up my heart
Instead of keeping it buried down deep 
The world is loud, selfish, and mean
So it’s easier to put my soul to sleep 

They say I must speak more cheerfully 
But they smile with swords in hand
Weapons garnished with roses 
But they still all see me as bland

Today I will not depress myself
I will not dwell on their inspections 
Because life is a performance 
Where inauthenticity is selection 

Winnie Louise Sjoquist is a twenty-year-old aspiring writer and musician. She spent her childhood in Minnesota, and moved to New York to study music at Long Island University in 2023. She recently had the privilege of having her poem “Unheard but I Listen” published in volume 9, issue 2 of “In Parentheses” Literary Magazine. She writes about her life experiences with the goals of causing cultural disruption and discussion.