I Met a Man Who Would Not Wear a Mask
Everyone I know wears a mask,
but the face of this person
was not in hiding, if he wore one
it was transparent.
I could see he was not playing a part,
not following any script,
not reading other faces wondering how to react,
not courting smiles and nods in order to signal
agreement.
He was not in, nor out of a social circle.
I could tell at a glance
that he would not mimic
any borrowed characteristics
simply to curry favor or impress.
He was a man
that would not feign a tear, until
it fell naturally
nor signal a false camaraderie,
or join any masquerade
simply to be accepted.
He did not socialize to ingratiate,
or seek influence,
did not push himself forward
in order to gain attention.
When I met him
I knew I could not wear
my own mask and be real in his eyes.
I felt I had to take it off
to be shorn of pretense;
sadly my mask was stuck to my skull
as an obviously painted persona,
a false flag I had carefully cultivated
for far too long,
now try as I might it would not come off.
That same day
I met many people with masks,
we gathered to meet each other.
Try as I might
I could see nothing unrehearsed,
spontaneous, or authentic in us all.
Truth be told, all our masks
fitted far too perfectly.
Copyright © Eric Ashford | Year Posted 2021
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