Whatever's Underneath

It’s funny how folks talk
so bold and ironic ’bout killin’
their own ego,
like we ain’t all just wearin’
different masks over whatever’s
hidin’ underneath.

Like a pair of shoes that never quite fit,
left sittin’ in the closet
while we go huntin’ for those new
pearly-white sneakers
that hug a little tighter.

On to the next mask
that matches the face we’re tryin’ on now.

I wonder how many of y’all
run free on the bottoms of your feet
through mud and hard concrete.

Even then, are we any more
than a thick layer of tough skin
that still sheds and grows back
over time?