Disguising Poems

WHAT REALLY IS CIVILIZATION?

I was beaten in school 
for speaking Themne
my own tongue
a melody they called a wrong note.

I ran to my father for comfort
but he looked away
called me foolish
for not knowing the world had changed.

I knelt beneath the old tree
offering thanks for rain and harvest
they said I was lost
praying to shadows and myths.

I wore my lion skin with pride
feet firm in Crocs-hide sandals
they mocked my walk
said I was wild, uncivilized.

But what truly is civilization?
Is it silencing my mother’s voice?
Replacing gods with shame?
Or disguising erasure as progress?

I Wear My Suit

I wear my suit while my house burns
I wear my suit while my wife dies
I wear my suit when my son’s body arrives
And I wear my suit for you Donald Trump

I wear my suit while Russians torture
I wear my suit as bombs explode
I wear my suit for my lost future
I don’t wear my suit because I am told

I wear my suit to greet the reaper
I wear my suit through the genocide
I wear my suit cos yours is cheaper
I wear my suit with my dead bride

I see your suit, it hides your crimes
I see your suits disguising your hate
I see your suits siding with murderers
I see your suits by Putin’s side.	

David Cox 03/03/25

HIDE AND SEEK

HIDE AND SEEK

Love can be discreet
Sometimes even neat
Feeling the heart beat
Often disguising
The passion rising
But there is more yet
By being adept
With a secret kept

The face is glowing
And all are knowing
When love is showing
Not always hidden
Nor overridden
When it is bidden
And recognising
It’s not surprising

Winter Jasmine

Harbinger of Spring

A perfect beauty, lover of sunshine
Casting her brilliance, a warm golden glow
Pride of my patch Winter Jasmine sublime
Drawing the eye with her fantastic show

Bright blossom blooming on branches so bare
Greeting the season, the dawning of spring
This glorious vine, though no scent to share
has a colourful zest, makes your eyes zing

Burgeoning plant sprawling over a wall
Disguising old brickwork coated in lime
Shortened and shaped away back in the fall
but no holding back now, this is her time


Of all the flowers the garden blessed
The Winter Jasmine is one of the best 

Of the Cemetery and of the Graveyard

Gather 'round, young ones, and heed my words,
The truth has been consumed, its head submerged,
To depths far from light.

Recall, just a few market days past,
It was shrouded in shadows, veiled by lies that would forever last.

For most of the living you see, have perfected the art,
Of twisting reality, of bias that distorts the heart.
Disguising traps as breakthroughs, so scary.

Dictating paths for others' children's feet,
And swearing oaths that seal their fate, so discreet.
For theirs is the cemetery,
And ours the graveyard.

Binding futures with words that cannot be undone,
And claiming power over lives that have just begun.

Thinking if they're buried in the cemetery, they'll be better off than us of the graveyard,
Where trees loom thick, and diggers tread barefoot, with hearts that are hardened.

But eternity is long, long for it.
Today's presence speaks of yesterday's absence. 
Do not be deceived and do not be amused.
We shall be equal in bones and then dust.
Whether of the cemetery or of the graveyard.

2025 Contradictions

Project 2025, a tale that some have spun 
Of less government, and more to come 
Disguising rules and mandates with an ease 
Using more government the right does please

Reducing funds, saying to trim the U.S. core 
Now watch as their power grows much more 
From health to speech, their views will tread 
With heavy hands, it’s their right they said 

Contradicting the laws then to claim liberty 
With their intentions saying it’s the right to be 
Drafting freedoms, written down it’s clear 
But it’s to continue their distributing fear 

Controlling us with their very own  vision 
Promoting more, in this country of division 
To oversee us, reigning us in, and then to bind 
Are all contradictions they’ve carefully designed

Grandad what did you want to be when you were my age

he paused
pushing himself on the soft leather
shaped by his years
-Happy
his eyes beaming
below the arced trellises of his greyed out eyebrows

Dion rested at his grandfathers feet
His face in a contortion of bewilderment

-No, I mean as a job

The old man grasped a freshly iced can of
some sugar filled gloop
and poured it between them both

He gave a chuckle
disguising it as a cough
as the child held the glasses together to better measure the gloop
before placing one in his grandfathers hand

The giant princes and 7 people doesn’t have the same ring

-Okay what about Grumpy
pulling a fake gurn to his face
the tickle of his beard causing him to sneeze to easily

Dion yawned his grandfather wiping the sleep peadrops from his eye

Bashfully I must leave
but my grate NESS
Is documented

Real, Vulnerable, Myself, Now

Free Verse: Vulnerability

Philosophically, and ideally,
I believe I should be myself,
Which makes me feel vulnerable, unsafe, and insecure.

Practically, and actually,
My philosophical ideal is eclipsed by fear.
So, I protect myself
By hiding my identity, or disguising it with a false identity
To feel safe, secure, and invulnerable.

But, what is my identity?
It's how I feel and act - now, 
Not what I was was yesterday,
Not the story someone wrote for me,
Not what I plan or hope to be tomorrow,
Not what my driver's license or resume says.
It's how I feel and act - now.

There's my homework
Let my actions and outward expressions
Honor what I feel is right
Which is me - 
Now.


Diamante: Vulnerability

Real - 
Vulnerable, Unsafe
False - Safe, Invulnerable
I must be real -
What I feel
Is right - 
Now

Angel Muse

Hidden from perdition
disguising me again
Final thorn of life’s florescence 
trapped within her pen

Darker than the madness
eternity cajoles   
The pathway to forbidden fruit
— her masquerade unfolds

(The New Room: June, 2024) 

Politics

 Politicians with all their tricks
 Disguising all their lies
 But they'll cater to the rich
 And we'll be left with sighs

 We hear empty promises once more
 and know it'll be the same as before
 We hope we wont get burned
 But we just never learn

 We are caught up in the game
 As we listen to their quotes
 Hoping for a change
 As we cast our vote

 2-13-2024

Judas Has Fallen

His trust was betrayed

We followed dismayed

It's not surprising

Judas is rising

Now nailed on a cross

His death was our loss

There's no disguising

Judas is rising

In shame there he stands

With blood on his hands

Justice is calling

Judas is falling

Unrequited Love

When I see her smile, I fight off a tear:
for unrequited love's a secret hurt.
And because it's love, it'll not bend to fear,
oft disguising as an innocent flirt.

Is there a more unintentional pain
than loving someone who rejects your love?
My heart is twisted in knots by the strain,
asking for forgiveness from God above.

I want to let go, but my heart cries no,
so the dream is kept alive in my mind.
And I play pretend, so she'll never know
when it comes to other women, I'm blind.

Unrequited love is a silent scream:
that is disparaging to the extreme.

Raising and Realizing a New Horizon

While Jesus was raring and rising
Our religion we would be realizing
Being an atheist had been disguising

How is that for a few buckles of chuckles
scrapped by barnacles who had been a
natural born sailor named Bill. Ho ho.

After ages was turned into rock
Put on Startrek with name of Spock
While into show ourselves would lock

I have heard about shut ins and sit ins
before but I am not so sure and lock ins
and loose in though. What do you think
and hope all of this in will start to sink.

Raising and Realizing a New Horizon

While Jesus was raring and rising
Our religion we would be realizing
Being an atheist had been disguising

How is that for a few buckles of chuckles
scrapped by barnacles who had been a
natural born sailor named Bill. Ho ho.

After ages was turned into rock
Put on Startrek with name of Spock
While into show ourselves would lock

I have heard about shut ins and sit ins
before but I am not so sure and lock ins
and loose in though. What do you think
and hope all of this in will start to sink.

Pain

Pain

Take away my last breath, oh, when you’re hiding, can you hide my pain away?
I’ll say goodbye to all the love I could have known; I’ll say goodbye to all the pain.
Can somebody take this pain, I’m just not the same.
I wanted to die, I wanted to escape; wipe these tears from my face and I’ll just run away.
With nothing left to give, I feel so empty; with the judgement raining down is only skin deep.
Painting smiles on my face, disguising what’s on my mind.

I see doves from the sky, I feel like I’m dying; close my eyes and I’m flying.
I hope you miss me when I’m gone, cause I can’t hold on for too long.
And I will come alive with just one look from you.
I just wish I could feel some love.
I notice the things in without, at least you have somebody to cry about.
I know I’m such a burden, but can you hold me one last time?
I’m already broke as soon as you touch me..

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