We Wear the Mask
by Paul Laurence Dunbar
We wear the mask that grins and lies,
It hides our ceeks and shades our eyes,-
This debt we pay to human guile;
With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,
And mouth with myriad subtleties.
Why should the world be overwise,
In counting all our tears and sigh?
Nay, let them only see us, while
We wear the mask.
We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries
To thee from tortured souls arise.
We sing, but oh the clay is vile
Beneath our feet, and long the mile;
But let the world dream otherwise,
We wear the mask!
My Thoughts
by John "Renaissanceman" Chase
We all wear a mask. Everyone in the world if they realize it or not. Wether its one to hide ourselves from our friends, family, or just to get through work. The privious poem was written in 1896, by Paul Laurence Dunbar, a black poetic who lived his life wearing a mask and not being able to live his life the way he dreamed. Working as an elevator operator and having to finance his writing on his own. Eventually, changing his writing style to meet the public's approval. Writing as a po' black idiot. I wear a mask at work, at home and even sometimes with friends and I thought I would share this poem and my thoughts with my new friends on CT, maybe you'll share your masks with me and I'll share some more of my masks, especially the fun ones that only come out at night and special occassions. Like Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, etc...
