The Costume I Wore

Scrolling through photos, each smile a guise,

behind every laugh, a tangled disguise.

I wore the gown, felt like a queen,

yet the mask felt too heavy, the joy unforeseen.

With a chipped coffee mug, empty spaces surround,

the weight of the costume, once lost, now found.

As the laughter fades, I question my role—

who stood in the spotlight, and who paid the toll?