Paula Goldsmith Poet Free verse

The Masks We Wear

I'm okay, 
you're okay is a mask in the land of pretend.
Children say what they feel,
their honestly can bubble over.
Little ones have not learned words hurt,
so their tongue flow freely.
The only masks they wear,
is at Halloween.
Turning into teenagers,
they have learned the power of words.
Words can bring joy like a fluttering butterfly,
or pain like a sharp knife in the back.
I'm okay, you're okay is a mask we wear,
wear in the land of pretend.

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Panagiota Romios November 7, 2023 at 2:51 PM Congratulations, Paula. Pangie

Sotto Poet October 29, 2023 at 1:47 PM Hearty congratulations on your well-deserved win, Paula, with this lovely poem. Paula Goldsmith October 31, 2023 at 9:25 PM Thanks for reading/writing and for your congratulations. Glad you enjoyed my Masks write. Have a great/blessed day writing away....................

Paula Goldsmith October 29, 2023 at 8:29 AM "8 Place" The Masks We Wear~Date Written: 10/16/2023

Miranda Hawley October 26, 2023 at 7:25 PM Children don't lie about there feelings, but adults do. I know I have. I work with special needs children and a few of them wear mask to school on the daily, and by mask I mean Halloween mask. One kid has a small marvel comic collection of mask, and even as a teen he hardly ever is without one of his mask. Good job and congratulations on your win in my contest. Paula Goldsmith October 27, 2023 at 10:58 AM Thanks for reading/writing and for your congratulations. Glad you like my Masks write. I enjoyed writing this for your fun contest. Thanks for having it and for the placement. Your job must bring you great joy. Have a great/blessed day writing away....................

Marikate Kingston October 24, 2023 at 8:04 PM Maybe we wear masks for different people & different reasons. To my brother I am suppose to be very positive all the time. I'm not sure he wears a a mask of positivity 24 /7 That is not being authentic. Teaching kindergarten I had a child tell me in my am circle, that his father smokes cigarettes in the bathtub, so his mother wouldn't find out. Your 3rd and 4th lines :) made me think of Trevor's funny comment. Glad 2 have found this one. :) Paula Goldsmith October 27, 2023 at 10:57 AM Thanks for reading/writing. Glad you like this write. Children are fun to hear from. Have a great/blessed day writing away....................

Valsa George October 16, 2023 at 7:55 PM You are absolutely right dear Paula. 'Children wear masks only at Halloween'. Your observation, I really liked. In a world of pretence, we all wear masks and put on a facade of a countenance of joy and contentment. Paula Goldsmith October 27, 2023 at 10:10 AM Sorry, I just found this from you... Thanks for reading/writing. Glad you really like this write. Masks should just be for Children to wear at Halloween. Adults need no masks to hide behind, no telling lies. Have a great/blessed day writing away.................... Miranda Hawley October 26, 2023 at 7:28 PM I work with special needs kids. One or two of them wear Halloween mask all the time. One kid who is a teen, introduced himself as Spiderman. That teen comes to school most days of the school year in some Marvil Comic mask. Anyways, I too have wore the mask of "Okay" when I am anything but.

Joseph May October 16, 2023 at 4:47 PM True words Paula, We try to keep up appearances to hide the truth Paula Goldsmith October 27, 2023 at 10:18 AM Sorry, I just found this from you... Thanks for reading/writing. Glad you you found my write to be true words. Some do wear marks to keep up appearances to hide the truth but some also do to lie. Have a great/blessed day writing away....................

Silent One October 16, 2023 at 12:17 PM Many wear masks and pretend... i hope words bring you joy like butterflies.. be careful of that friend with a knife behind their back.. Paula Goldsmith October 27, 2023 at 10:02 AM Sorry, I just found this from you... Thanks for reading/writing. Glad you like my write. Masks come in many sizes for many reasons. Over the years I have had many friends put a knife in my back. Oh the mark they did wear of friendship/lies. Have a great/blessed day writing away....................

Andrea Dietrich October 16, 2023 at 10:52 AM so cute! Paula Goldsmith October 16, 2023 at 11:07 AM Thanks for reading/writing. Glad you found my write cute. Masks come in many sizes for many reasons. Have a great/blessed day writing away....................

Deb M October 16, 2023 at 10:52 AM Yes we all do wear our masks for different reasons….fear, hate, insecurity, lack of self worth and the list goes on and on. I really enjoyed this interesting and thought provoking well written poem. Debx Paula Goldsmith October 16, 2023 at 11:01 AM Thanks for reading/writing. Glad you enjoyed my interesting/thought provoking write. Masks come in all sizes for all kinds of reasons. Have a great/blessed day writing away.....................

Panagiota Romios October 16, 2023 at 10:39 AM Making this a fave! I can tell you have not taught nor been around the types of kids I taught. No children beat you, nor acted like hoodlums. Breaking teachers’ noses … Adults do wear masks! Kids jumping atop teachers’ cars and swearing like truck drivers…each recess blood would flow! Adults do wear masks. Kids openly hate. I still like the melodiousness of the poem. In spite of my Chicago days in public schools. Glad you were spared that. Pangie xx Paula Goldsmith October 16, 2023 at 10:58 AM Thanks for reading/writing and for your FAV. That puts a smile on my heart. "Thank You" Have a great/blessed day writing away.....................

Paula Goldsmith October 16, 2023 at 9:12 AM The Masks We Wear~Date Written: 10/16/2023