I stare into the mirror and
what do I see looking back at me?
There living inside I see the mysterious eyes,
of the imposter who is me.

The eternal fight rages on,
to be who I was created to be.
The striking war in my brain to just believe.
Could I be more than what I or you see?

I hide and others only see my smiles
and hear the petty laughter.
So all must be well they believe,
not seeing my heart in tatters.

He takes my truth and steals my reality.
He squeezes my heart in hands of cruelty.
He laughs in my face and enjoys my misery.
He tells me lies that cheat my destiny.

I am an unknown imposter
and no one knows.
I am singularly who you want me to be,
and that is all I show.

My life is carefully crafted,
a stage upon which I play.
Only being who they want me to be,
silently screaming behind my mask I stay.

A day will come when it will end,
the day of reckoning will dawn.
Eternity will seek me and I will find,
I gave my life to be the devil’s grotesque pawn.

When so much more was offered,
by the one who is love.
Turning my back on promises,
He silently wept while watching from above.

It is too late to start anew,
and a hope of new life?
To simply begin again casting aside,
the foreign chains of bondage that cause the strife.

The imposter is strong,
he will not let go without a fight.
His grip on me and his will,
can only be broken by love’s outrageous pure light.

I would banish him from the depths,
from the places in my dark heart.
Shining through the cracks is holy light,
that seems is the only place to start.

I will fight this demon,
this alien imposter whose will is to rule.
I will stand firm and unafraid,
for I will no longer be his tool.

I have a destiny and a mission,
a path that has been cleared for me.
I will rise like a phoenix from the ashes,
for I know now the imposter is not me.

~Mark Schutter ©2015

Inspired in part by the post The Faceless Man on the Reverie a poetic publication journal.