Chameleon Skin

Amy22

This chameleon skin I wear will eventually break and wear.
This chameleon skin I wear 24/7 hours of the day.
A mask to hide the true me inside.
You could say this skin is a cage.
Or is it really protection?
To protect against the horrors of the world and what's to come.
That fear of the deep unknown.
This chameleon skin I wear. It will always be there.
24 hours of the day.
Eventually it will wear down and break.
When exhaustion comes through.
And there is no more energy to mask or to hide anymore.

Sian321

Hey @Amy22 , thank you so much for posting this powerful poem. It is very evocative, and really captures that feeling of what its like living when your skin or your body feels like a cage you're trapped inside of, as well as a protection from the horrors outside too.

It sounds exhausting, that tension, and I noticed you said that you sense the chameleon skin will wear down and break eventually. What do you imagine that might look like if or when that happens?

Amy22

Sian321 wrote: »

Hey @Amy22 , thank you so much for posting this powerful poem. It is very evocative, and really captures that feeling of what its like living when your skin or your body feels like a cage you're trapped inside of, as well as a protection from the horrors outside too.

It sounds exhausting, that tension, and I noticed you said that you sense the chameleon skin will wear down and break eventually. What do you imagine that might look like if or when that happens?

So I wrote this poem because it focuses on being neurodivergent and masking autism and stuff which I constantly do a lot. Especially as a female with autism, I find it hard being my most authentic self. I think when I wrote the line wear down and break, it means eventually all of the masking could lead to being burnt out overtime or it could imply that eventually I don't need to wear this chameleon skin anymore because one day I will feel comfortable in my own skin.