The Mask of an Introvert

Going to work each day

I am surrounded by people

Patients, Family Members, Medical Staff

A new person moves in, I greet them with a welcoming smile

Everyone stops me to talk and says how nice I am

Nobody knows that although I love working with people

There is a part of me that likes the quiet

Each time I open a door or answer a phone, I have to take a deep breath

As there is always a part of me that is still afraid

Afraid of being judged, afraid of not being liked, of not being enough

Sometimes I struggle to open my mouth to speak

Still, I smile and somehow the words find their way through me

When I tell someone about my shyness, they don't believe me

I've come a long way, but little do they know

That shy little girl still lives deep within me, she always will

My life as an extroverted introvert

The fear, silently hiding behind a mask