Whispers Of The Buried Self Poem by Himani Saklani

He only wanted to be himself.
But they wanted him to be normal.
They despised what made him different,
yet he still loved them.

To escape the disgust in their eyes,
he became the version of himself they desired —
not realizing that with every lie,
his soul was fading.

Now they adore him for the mask he wears,
but at what cost?
He asked for so little — just acceptance —
and in return, they broke what was real in him.

Still, he carries their expectations
while others live freely.
Do they not fear the weight of what they've done?
Even if the world looks away,
God never does.