Don't you love my masks?
This is my church mask.
It's a distorted view of Jesus you see,
The one you suppose him to be.
It's the one I take to services and groups
It puts me in the best social loops.
Doesn't it make me look grand and spiritual?
And complement my meaningless ritual?
It so well hides the emptiness and hurt I feel.
It keeps me from being a person who is real.
Don't you love my masks?
This is my work mask.
It's much different from my church face.
In it is not much love or grace.
It's the one I must wear to get the job done.
It gives me glory and ensures I'm never outdone.
It's full of power and strong will
That gets things done by my sovereign will.
It hides so well the fact that I don't really care
About you or the job or any of your affairs.
Don't you love my masks?
This is the fun mask,
The one I take out to play,
The one I wear near the end of my day
Or for fun filled, exciting weekends.
It's the one I put on for my friends.
It's full of happiness and delight
And lets people know that everything is all right.
It hides so well that my life is a horrible mess,
That in my dessert soul is nothing but bareness.
Will you love me without my masks?
Would I not be repulsive without my masks?
This is the real me that I fear to let you see.
I don't dare share lest I be set free.
It is full of real hurt and real pain
It is full of such sadness, guilt and shame.
How could I let you see my real face?
Would you be able to show me real grace?
And so I continue in fear to hide
Who I really am deep inside.
Author notes
I've read a few poems on this site about masks. I've commented on them. We all have masks we were. How great it is when we can trust someone enough to show our real selves. It is so freeing when we do. I hope this poems speaks to that.
Written June 30th, 2004
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I don't usually put up masks, but when I do, it is very frustrating. I mean, I scream and punch myself in the head, it's so frustrating. That's what a mask does to me. Detremental to my health, so, I think it's a good idea to avoid half-truths, lies, and personal masks. If you feel like hating everyone, I think it's better to try and get a grip on yourself instead of grinning at everyone and wishing they were dead. An extreme example, but it gets the point across.
The Truth will set you free. You're poem illustrates this very well. It also illustrates well the hypocrite that's inside all of us.
Nice write! thanks for sharing!
-dragonsteel -
I think we all have a few mask and some more than others. To show who we realy are would mean we would have to be volnerable and that is not an easy thing to allow. Nicely written
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I have always wondered if we lose our real selves behind all these masks we wear. You speak of many masks here, one for each occasion. How do you know the "real you" is not wearing a mask also? Just a thought. We spend so much time hiding for self preservation. Sometime I can't find the real me. Excellent poem. Once again, I am impressed by your work.
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Excellent write
Hi,
Masks indeed. We all wear them. Your words ring so true for all of us. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we didn't need them? We bare to others what we want them to percieve instead of what we really are. We are guarded and reticent most of the time, when we should be open and show who we really are. Your write was right on target. Thank you for sharing this and thank you for the lovely comment on my write 'Upon the Mourning Stone' I appreciate it.
--Johnny -
Your words speak volumes. I think the most deceiving mask I wear is one of being fearless or perhaps more self assured than I really am. My job puts me in some dangerous situations sometimes and it would not be appropriate to allow the real me to be seen. I have to appear strong and fearless and in control when in reality...the warrior is still a child.
And yes...it would be euphoric if people accepted us just as we are...flaws and all...without any expectation of us becoming any better or becoming what they perceive we should be. This is a wonderful write. Thank you for the privilege and pleasure of reading it.
Edited on Jul 01 because ''. -
This is really well written, the topic of different faces for different occasions is one I believe everyone to be very familiar with, and you expressed it wonderfully. I like how you drew out long, deep, explicit descriptions of each "mask", how you felt in them, and how otnhers saw you, that was really good.
Great write, all in all, I enjoyed it. -
Gr8
This is a great poem, I'm glad I came by hear. I could relate to this so very well, especially the "fun" mask, I do that all the time. Over half of my friends have no idea that I suffer from depression or that I struggle everyday with eating disorders, i just wish not to show it. I am a christain but have only went to church once this year, that sounds really bad but I couldn't stand all the fake people in churches, this is such a great write. I wish you well. Let me know bout that poem, k
---Sara
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Thanks so much I appreciate the comment. I, myself, didn't think it was that great, but I'm my own worst critic. Thanks for encouraging me.
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Yes..we all do have our many masks...I actually wrote something called many names..kind of similar..I took it off of here though because I wasn't that happy with the way it turned out..
this was written wonderfully..I really love the last stanza..it is a great feeling to finally be able show our true selves..there are very few people I have been able to do that with..then again it is not that difficult to figure out..I put my true self in everything I write..
I enjoyed this very much..you have an amazing talent...thank you for sharing it...and thank you for your comment on my write "Other Side" I appreciate it very much...
~~Kristy -
It is nice to see that there are other people out there that now we all put up 'masks" from place to place. Some people like to judge others for it but i am not one of them, i think the more we recongnize that we do this the less we ashamed of it ( like society likes to make us feel) so now, after all of that. i like your poem and the balls it took to write and post it - pixy
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Very Good
This is so true!However, if there was only side to one's personality, life would be boring and everyone would have the same opinion of the same person. which means you are either loved by all or hated by all since they all see the same 'you'. it's not wrong to have different personalities based on the place and situation you're in. what's wrong is to hide those personalities.
keep writing. you've done a good job with this one
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