At 10, more or less,
masks meant Spidey,
Batman, and Scooby-Doo villains—
the old man from the fun fair.
~
the mask protects me
the mask protects us
the mask protects
offers anonymity
~
At 20, more or less,
masks meant Michael Myers,
Jason Voorhees, or
Point Break-style bank robbers.
~
the mask protects me
the mask protects us
the mask protects
offers anonymity
~
At 30, more or less,
masks meant the lies we tell,
the faces we wear for others
to hide the shameful truth
about ourselves.
~
the mask becomes me
the mask becomes us
the mask provides
delusional escape
~
at 40, more or less
masks meant protection
against Covid and germs
ensuring the virus—
inside stayed mine
~
the mask was me
the mask was us
the mask suffocated
the reality I was afraid to face
~
At 45, more or less,
my mask is off. I’m exposed,
skin bare with surface wear and tear—
who I am, bad and worse,
but honest, and freeing.
*
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About the Creator
Paul Stewart
Award-Winning Writer, Poet, Scottish-Italian, Subversive.
The Accidental Poet - Poetry Collection out now!
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