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Masks

Joan Crowley 1942 (Spencer, IA)

July 22 
The many masks that we wear
Throughout our lives we only share
Within the recesses of our mind
The forbidden darkness we dare not climb

We must wear the masks for our protection
Never open for inspection
For God forbid who
Might be lurking inside of you

For if anyone were to know
The many masks we wore to play the role
The unveiling would give away
The person standing here today

About this poem

I wrote this poem many years ago. It maybe even more relevant today dealing with the dichotomy between two sides of the same characters in this world.

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Written on November 04, 1996

Submitted by joan_c42342 on July 09, 2022

Modified on March 05, 2023

22 sec read
55

Quick analysis:

Scheme AAXX BBCC XXDD
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 383
Words 74
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4
Full analysis for Masks »

Discuss the poem Masks with the community...

1 Comment
  • Lamurasic
    Lamurasic
    People are so used to wearing many masks in their relationships with those around them to the point that when a muzzle was ordered mandatory, one could barely find anyone objecting. Moreover, people who knew nothing about you, nor of your personal circumstances would attack you verbally for not wearing one.
    I say people have been programmed for many years to be mask wearers, it's just lately that the program has become so explicit and externally imposed. 
    LikeReply1 year ago

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"Masks" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 25 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/133548/masks>.

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