The Masks of Vocal

In our hallowed writing space, we gather,

Weaving our words upon a distant page

Words of import - or just senseless blather,

And lauding others' works, while we engage.

~

Whether we bleed truth or affectations

In words we share with others of our ilk,

Readers wait with lofty expectations

To sample all our wares, like mother's milk.

~

But, the writer's mask may be misleading,

Concealing grief, or loss, disdain or pain,

The ugly truths of life that leave us bleeding,

And thieves that gather words for their own gain.

~

Creators gathered here don't have to ask.

Each of us comes with his or her own mask.

***

Author's note: It occurred to me that we hide certain things when we sit down to create for Vocal. For most of us, it may be the daily struggles we face but don't share. Then there are those that, like it or not, are here to steal from others, while masquerading as creators. And of course, there are those that occasionally post a piece that reveals elements of their psyche we don't want to see.

Last, but certainly not least important, my disclaimer: These are my opinions, based on my own experiences here on Vocal.