Unmasked Poem by Vanessa Dizon Alvarez

Be brave enough to drop disguise,
To meet yourself with open eyes.
Beneath the masks, beneath the show
There lives the soul you need to know.

Be soft enough to see your flaws,
Not as weakness, but applause.
They make you real, they make you true,
They are the light that shines through you.

Be bold enough to own your grace,
Don't shrink your gifts, don't hide your face.
Your strengths are stars the world should see
They are your sacred legacy.

Say it loud: "This mess is mine.
I stumble, fall, forget the line.
But still I rise, I try, I grow
And I am proud to let that show."

You are becoming, day by day,
A masterpiece in your own way.
So love yourself, and let it be
The bravest kind of victory.