Best Camouflaging Poems
Behind the mask there is a frail and fragile me
Enigmas clothed in conundrums; that the naked I can’t see
'Behind the mask is concealed, my authenticity
Examine my history to unravel my perplexing mysteries
Behind the mask it is unseen paralyzing, piercing pain
With arrogance and self-assurance camouflaging the shame
Behind the mask is hidden my true Identity.
Seek and survey the signs of my obscurity
Behind the mask is veiled a heart that’s been broken
Held together by unexpressed resentment and animosity unspoken
Behind the mask is where my insecurity hides,
Like realism wrapped in riddles, you must read between the lines
Behind the mask is where I cover my falling tears
Dig just below the surface and you’ll unearth my crippling fears
Behind the mask there are cloaked secrets unexplained and untold
Decipher the symbols to crack my encrypted codes
Behind the mask you’ll uncover my True expressions
Remove and reveal parodies, and expose the false impressions
Behind the mask, it is hidden, my Individuality.
Not acting out some script of who I’m thought to be
Behind the mask is obscured my, vulnerability
Suppressing the mounting manifestation of the inner me
Behind the mask it is disguised, my true reflection
Underneath open wounds inflected by rejection
Behind the mask rest crushed and shattered dream
Where fear muzzles roaring whispers and screeching silent screams
Behind the mask is buried, my stolen youth
Deception, and cover-ups, masquerading as facts and truth
Behind the mask is where I screen the confusion
Look close and you’ll find, trickery and deception, draped in fantasy and optical
illusions
Behind the mask it’s stifling; it is hard for me to breathe,
The walls of deceit that i have built ,are quickly closing in on me.
I am trapped behind facades of smirks and phony smiles.
So may I please remove this mask just for a little while?
Chiquita Baity
For years I wore
your shame as my own
and lived unknown
in terror of being seen
like a leper
self-quarantined
intrinsically unclean
Your neglect
became to me
my insignificance
undeserving of your glance
Your abuse
became to me
my fault and utter blame
my soiled but rightful name
Your abandonment
to me
was my unworthiness
unfit and valueless
'Til this layered shame became
a camouflaging cloak
wrapped about with care
disguising me as if
I wasn't even there
How I avoided them
my friends so true
for they could plainly see
the agony in me
and I couldn't control
it radiating through
Yet butterflies won't stay bound
in crippling cocoons
integrity impugned
by wings that cannot fly-
and I at last have found
the answer to my wounds
in exposing you
and all your lies
You were cruel-
I do matter
You were guilty-
I am not to blame
You were unfit-
I am worthy
You nearly destroyed me-
But I overcame
Now my only dread is
of leaving this world
as un-notably as I came
as invisibly as I lived
to be known only
by others
as unredeemed as
you thought me to be-
No! the truth
will set me free...
I humbly give
this cloak to you
it was yours to wear
not mine to share
I'm through
I'm through
I'm through.
I'm an emerald
echo of earth's
caterpillar, a
camouflaging
hiatus of muse
midst karmic rainstorms.
Enslaved to jealous
stars flaming within
infernal wings,
I yearn to spellbind
sacred heaven's throne,
chasing subconscious
liberty in crowned
soul of marine eyes.
Tracing saffron
fingertips in
silent smokes of
Venus, willingly,
I've scarred tuscan shine
of Aphrodite
with pearl's thermal ache.
So now, when new year's
first sunflower sings ~
breathing ambrosia
in gemstones of
bejeweled healing,
a poet shall be
reborn as a
ruby-amethyst,
snowtail butterfly.
Tainted Tears
What lurks inside a single tear?
Look closely and you shall find
Polluted waters of yesteryear
Daunting dreams that remind
Look closely and you shall find
Sacrificial streams of love lost
Daunting dreams that remind
Sinking ships within a frigid frost
Sacrificial streams of love lost
Incipient illusions of life so real
Sinking ships within a frigid frost
Camouflaging calamities conceal
Incipient illusions of life so real
Polluted waters of yesteryear
Camouflaging calamities conceal
What lurks inside a single tear?
March.22.2018
Favorite Pantoum
Sponsored by: Laura Loo
A desert flower shrouded in black,
she exudes the sweetness of a rose.
And sidles away from my approach,
her emotions hidden by a veil.
Dazzling eyes of cerulean hue
stare out at me from subtle shadows.
For it's her tradition and custom
that no man's gaze may fall upon her.
Her cloistered features hide from the sun,
camouflaging her uniqueness.
And forbade the mere sight of her smile,
my sad heart propositions the wind.
Please grant my heart this innocent wish,
that I may yet see her hidden face.
And remove the guise of the niqab,
so that my eyes may glimpse her beauty.
(Blank Verse)
5/16/2017
(A Collaborated Poem with Liam McDaid and myself)
I hear a whisper…
In my dream last night, you've found another woman to hold
In your lonely nights, she becomes your sanctuary and desire
Turning your head away from an eastern promise
The whisper soon becomes a deafening silence too much to bear
I hear a whisper...
From the raindrops falling on grey cold pavement
Wet on the side not covered by roofs
Dry on the side that lies below the roofs
There, on the dry side, sleeps a homeless elderly man
Lying on used cardboard boxes and covered by layers of them
Has he given up hope for his own society or has society abandoned him?
I hear a whisper…
From the coffee dripping into a pot
Smell of caffeine fills the air delighting the senses
Camouflaging the scent of loneliness
There, on the coffee table, sits a poorly dressed elderly woman
Taking loudly to an invisible friend and having two plates of breakfast
Has she given up hope for friends or has friends avoided her?
I hear a whisper…
From the keyboard typing sounds in an office
Heat produced by machines blends in
Together with human activities rising high in temperature
There, on the window side, a nervous working man keeps his head down
Yielding to all demands and pressure from the top
Has he surrendered hope to power or has power overwhelmed him?
I hear a whisper…
That 'Hope' is still laying at the bottom of Pandora's box
Collecting dust from the detriments of evil actions
Slowly rotting away among fallen light of heavens
The whisper soon becomes an echo dissipating into a black hole
In Monolithic monuments are the bringers of the derelict dawn
I see many idolatrous idols, forged in ancient bibliothecal Babylon
Within worshipful winds, that carry words of parasitical praise
And indulging in illusions that comfort their camouflaging craze
I am the god of Lust beware my tempestuous heinous hunger
My appetite for decadent desire keeps me forever younger
I am the god of Gluttony beware my excessive consumption
The more I ferociously feed, the more for my euphoric eruption
I am the god of Greed beware my matriarchal material possessions
I want what I want and not what I need, to satisfy my aggressions
I am the god of Sloth beware my lazy inhabitations and failure to act
In my dormant dwellings, savoring sanctuaries where I safely retract
I am the god of Pride beware my self-indulging pompous portray
I talk to merciful mirrors that reflect reinforcing rumors my way
I am the god of Envy beware my desire to obtain what you possess
I want to experience everything, the secret to my seductive success
I am the god of Wrath beware my feelings of anger and habitual hates
Waging worthless wars as I open up the homogeneous hellion gates
The gods have spoken, their words eternal spread throughout eternity
In the efficacious end, Love will conquer all, so I say to you... ‘Let It Be’
Aug.02.2017
Let It Be
Sponsored by: Catie Lindsey
My reflection wears a mask
Face painted to hide my tears
Camouflaging hidden fears
If anyone tries to get close
I shatter like a fallen flask
Killing all hopes
Rhapsody in Autumn
Rhapsody of colors spread sunshine of rays have bled
Falling leaves stir ahead blanketing onto grounds bed
Crimson skies sighing amidst flocking birds’ south flying
Canvased pigments complying within natures purifying
Watercolours thru walking of mosaic rainbows talking
Winter within blues mocking upon grey clouds blocking
Chilling air in breezing amongst running noses sneezing
Pies with pumpkins pleasing of ghouls hauntingly teasing
Orange painted town with camouflaging scarlet brown
All faces tainting frown Autumn of rhapsody turnaround.
...if anyone is interested, this couplet can also be read backwards.
Oct.04.2018
Vermillion Autumn Couplets
Sponsored by: Vermillion Scythe
N/A for contest
Mysterious blue
as midnight moonlight spills on
meandering dreams.
Once butterflies' ball is done
merlot bliss lies past the sun!
Red Mars reveries
join nights of mulberry rose
camouflaging green.
So many are not sleeping
when the yellow warblers sing.
I caught you creeping around
with your spying eyes
Quick, furtive glances
betray your silent, stealthy movements
Human satellite camouflaging black cloud,
always in passing tear bursts,
secretly scans through a purse in my closet
Your dubious, devious actions
speak loud
Such churning, internal accusations
would make any insecure man proud
Furthermore, you compounded your fidelity lies,
when you installed web cam spying eyes
Privacy invasion of the worst kind —
But, I caught you though,
looking through my bedroom window
with a telescope
I had a Philip Marlowe
reconnaissance pro trailing you ...
sweet turn of the table
Let my diamond stylus disgust skip to the end,
this relationship is over ...
It’s time for me to unfriend
Here is some advice I guilt-freely give you:
Your spying eyes
will never truly let you see inside
the heart of another person
Unconditional trust
is the only way to ever off-site remotely know
what lay beneath the quilted hidden covers
of someone else’s soul
A male frog was playing near the swamp, being watched by a chameleon. The frog sensed someone is watching him, but cannot clearly see where what he senses stands.
From the bent bark of a tree near the swamp, the chameleon with constricted eyes slowly moves close to the frog.
The frog saw the chameleon and said, "Why are you watching me?"
The chameleon said, "I am fascinated by your glossy green skin."
"Thank you," said the frog, "but you are more fascinating because you can change colors -- camouflaging anywhere without being noticed!"
"I may be, but I look ugly and nasty to everyone." replied the chameleon.
The frog said, "Everything on earth is fascinating and everybody is beautiful."
"What made you say that?" asked the chameleon.
"When I was born, I was ugly too. While growing up, many of my kind didn't play with me because of my appearance."
"Can we be friends?" the chameleon asked.
"Right now, we already are. Just think beautiful about yourself and forever to everybody you will always be!"
Listen to the Conga drums speak
Drench my soul with the spirited beat
Break the chains from around my feet
And sprinkle some rum on the street.
Listen to the conga drums speak
Penetrating mystics’ way out in the deep
Electrify the sleeping dead
Exhume innocent bodies and balm them again.
Listen to the conga drums speak
Stand up and dance to the rhythm and beat
Fling your hands way up in the air
And swing your bodies without fear.
Listen to the conga drums speak
Telling legends and tales over the years
Hearts exploding with gladness
When they hear the conga drums beat.
Take off your shoes and Join the circle
And listen to the conga drums agonizing thump
Transcend with me to the top of the mountain
And unload your heavy burden.
The Gods are calling me to unite the spirits
And seek peace in the holy mountains.
Listen to the conga drum’s cry
Lamenting the souls who have gone by
I can feel the tempo gushing through my vein
making land fall at dawn and igniting with
quiet sprits feasting on top of the mountain.
Listen to the conga drums speak
Spread out in the open meadows
Form a big wide circle around the fields
And dance out the turbulence in the pastures.
Listen to the conga drums speak
Observe every car on the busy street
Rolling vans and busy men
Camouflaging dark secrets
in old grave yards and pumpkin farm.
Listen to the conga drums speak
Catapulting rhythm under my feet
Laughter and tear romancing in the air
Mankind is blind yet making life sublime
Listen to the conga drums speak
Dance and submit to its hypnotic beat.
©2015 Christine Phillips
Carrying Birds, Chirping in ears
The sound of Music, A vulture hears
Sing of despair, A storm brewing near
Death taking a toll, Rivers overflow
Earthquakes causing Shakes, Tsunamis in which they create
Time telling a story, Of a land washed away
Buildings of rubble, Body's they Shovel
A loss looking to the sky, Victims wondering why
The world having swallowed, Their love ones becoming hallow
Rising to a new day, Strength for which they pray
Gathering all, Lost memories in a fall
Seasons create change, Birds return for gain
Camouflaging to a time, The color in trees
Photosynthesis causing vibrance, Pollinating the bees
Despite pollutants, Riddling the air
Forever carried in the wind, Wings of an affair
Moving forward in a loss, despite being unfair
Remembering a time, Birds silenced with fear
^^^^^^^^Unexpected Storm^^^^^^^^^^
on merciless concrete
there's a body
don't clean up this blood
shot in the face
and run over as an inssurance
he'll never again put the blue ski mask on
don't clean up this blood
camouflaging a direct shot as ricocheted
did it even came to mind
was he still alive
when those tires
crossed over
don't clean up this blood
he was someone's son
do you have sons
what does the conscience say
does it claim a father
does that father merit someone calls him father
do your sons know
what you just did
don't clean up this blood
who are you behind that shields
who are you behind that badges
who are you behind that spokesman
who's pressing that switch to inhuman
don't clean up this blood
how does it feel when those who you pledged to protect are scared of you
does it make you feel like gods
or obedient dogs
outraged dogs
trying to silent the oppressed
who throws at you those bones from the top of Olympus
don't clean up this blood
just don't
freedom answers to the name of blood
*In memory of Carlo Giuliani (14 March 1978 - 20 July 2001)