30 poems. 30 days: Day 29 We Wear The Mask

In my bio I share that the very first poem I ever read was written by Paul Laurence Dunbar. This poem wasn’t the exact poem I read but I felt with my Nomakeup theme this poem would be perfect to share. We Wear the Mask is self-explanatory; the idea that in order to fit in or to avoid having to address our reality we should wear this mask to hide all of those ‘not so pretty’ things about us. Behind that Mask (Makeup) only God can hear our cries making those around us believe we are happy with where we are until we realize how exhausting hiding becomes. #nomakeup #noweight

This picture always leaves me speechless

We Wear the Mask

By Paul Laurence Dunbar

We wear the mask that grins and lies,

It hides our cheeks 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 over-wise,

In counting all our tears and sighs?

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!