Shadows and Illusions

The child in me ran to hide
The man inside prepared to fight
Both options were facades
Exposing my pain would hurt my pride

War and withdrawl both lie
But, masks of the real me
Are all you're allowed to see
The boy and the fighter help me get by

It's been this way since my youth
I hide in solitude or fury
Disregarding God's power
I run from the truth

What's the truth I know?
Anger is a defense of the weak
I have been justified
It pays to let vulnerability show

Yet, the truth is an intrusion
Comfortable with what I know
All you'll ever see from me
Are shadows and illusions

--Shenandoah Lynd