Castle of Masks

{Verse 1}

Castle of masks, where the halls don’t echo truth,

Just polished-up lies in the mouths of the “proof,”

Candles in frames, but the light never lands,

‘Cause everyone’s smiling with knives in their hands.

And there’s a boy in the corner where the cold air sits,

Back to the stone, trying not to flinch,

Watching them move like a play on repeat,

Learning the language of fake and deceit.

They told me “Be quiet, don’t make it a scene,”

They told me “Be grateful, you don’t know what I mean,”

They told me “Be bigger, be good, be the glue,”

They told me “Hold everyone up, but we won’t hold you.”

They told me “You’re lucky,” while they tightened the chain,

They told me “You’re fine,” while they branded my pain,

They told me “We care,” but it came with a price,

And every damn promise was wrapped up in “nice.”

So the boy clenched his jaw, let the noise turn to smoke,

Learned how to swallow a scream like a joke,

’Til the “told me’s” collapsing my chest,

Fed up with the masks that won’t let me catch breath,

They told me and told me ’til I had nothing left—

{Chorus}

I’m tired of the masks inside this castle—

They feed me their smoke ’til the air gets thin—

Slow walk through the silence, let the masks just stare—

Problems stay problems as long as they steal my air.

{Verse 2}

The masks got louder when the stone started splitting,

‘Cause cracks in a castle mean the boy’s still living,

First crack was a thought like “I don’t gotta stay,”

Second crack was a breath that I stole back away.

And I heard independence in the gap of the wall,

Like peace had a voice and it started to call,

Like agency humming through dust in the beams,

Like “your life is your own” wasn’t just in my dreams.

But the more that I stood up, the meaner they got,

More smiles turned sharp, more love came with knots,

More “we only want best” with a fist in the glove,

More “do what we say” dressed up as love.

They feared what I’d be if I learned how to choose,

So they tightened their grip and they changed all the rules,

Called me “too much,” called me “not enough,”

Tried to drown my fire with a mouth full of rough.

But every new crack let the daylight get in—

And I wasn’t a sinner for wanting to win,

I wasn’t a traitor for breaking their spell—

I was just a boy climbing out of their hell-

And I finally found air… and I’m not going back in.

{Bridge}

Through the cracks I heard a truth I couldn’t unhear,

Like freedom got a rhythm and it pulled me near,

And I loved them… but I’m done being their proof,

Done being the pillar while they shake the roof,

If the air is outside, I’ll find it somehow—

Castle of masks… I’m walking out now.

{Verse 3}

I found air in the crack, pushed through the walls,

Left the masks in the halls with their cold fake prayers,

I don’t need their “love” if it comes with no air—

Castle of Masks… I’m out. And can stand tall.

Problems only stay problems if you never move forward.