Mirrors And Masks

“You wear a mask for so long, you forget who you were beneath it.”

Alan Moore, V for Vendetta

 

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Mirrors and masks

Are the bases for

The questions I ask

 

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It is hard to see

Who we really are

When the reflection

Of how we see ourselves

Is in the mirror

Of other people’s masks

Filtered through our own

Peeling back the layers

Are like that of an onion

It might make us cry

Tackled without caution

Needing nerves of steel

To really find out

Who we are

Under the masked layers

Under the bravado layer

Under the work layer

Under the family layer

Under the fun layer

Under the scared layer

Under the parent layer

Under the child layer

Under the financial layer

Under the lost layer

Under the sport’s fan layer

Under the political layer

Under the racist layer

Under the emotional layer

One would think that

Under all those heavy

Added by time layers

Mostly of our own making

Give or take the surroundings

There would be a diamond

Under the pressure

Waiting to shine brilliantly

 

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Like the unmasked face

Typically on a new arrival

Glowing from the trip

Having traversed

Time and space

Eager to go on

This next ride

Fearlessly with joy

As he or she is

Born without religion

Born without language

Born without prejudices

Born without hate

Basically a clean slate

Just wanting to love

Be loved and eat

Poop smile and repeat

No wonder their heads

Are so big

Lots of masks to carry