I wear many masks.
I put them on to face the world.
They are fitted to the roles I play,
Fulfilling expectations, right on cue.
I do not wear them to deceive.
They are not my armor.
They cannot protect me.
Nothing is so strong.
They merely hide my truth
From untrusted eyes.
I wear them because the world is harsh,
And I am easily wounded.
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[…] pieces like Watching Ariadne, travel pieces like my a recent post from the beach, poems like Masquerade, or simple excerpts from […]
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A good poem. Reminds me of Dunbar’s “we wear the mask”
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I never read that poem (before today, that is–I searched for it based on your comment). There is indeed a lot of similarity, though my anguish doesn’t compare to what Dunbar felt during his lifetime. Many thanks for the comment and for the information on Dunbar’s poem.
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For others wondering about Dunbar’s poem, here’s a link:
http://www.potw.org/archive/potw8.html
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