For his eyes

You paint your face, like proof that you exist. A little less you, a little more his. You chase their gaze, like it means you're seen. But love from a mirror isn't what it seems. You shrink, you pose, you twist you please. Just to feel wanted, just to feel ease. You call it affection, but it's more like a cage. You live for their praise and die for their stage. You don't think you're pretty unless they agree. But girl, you were art before they could see.