His body was a canvas, a canvas painted with dark ink.

Ink embedded into his skin, creating an artistic mess.

A mess whose purpose was to appall and repel people.

But when you step close to examine the tangled motifs,

You realize the ink isn’t splattered randomly onto the canvas,

it was crafted with great care.

To some the designs may seem meaningless, futile.

But when you see beyond the outer layer of the chaos,

you will notice that it isn’t just turbulent art,

it is a symphony of life-lessons.

It is his journey.

Looking beyond his ink, you may get a glimpse of the person he was trying to hide.

The soul he was trying to shelter from the prying eyes of the world.

But no matter how hard you try to put on a façade,

You can never change your true self.

You may be able to mask yourself with ink,

But you can never mask your shadow.

Instead of forming opinions based on prejudice,

instead of judging a character by taking one glance at their outer layer,

You must gaze upon their heart.

Feel, rather than observe.

Cause, your shadow never lies.

By Saniya Kolangde

From: United Arab Emirates

Instagram: skolangde

Facebook URL: https://www.facebook.com/saniya.kolangde