A poem by Paul Lawrence Dunbar

Posted by Josefine Speyer on Nov. 1, 2013, 10:33 a.m. 1 comment


A poem by Paul Lawrence Dunbar

During the Death Café Ed  attended in October at Cafe Rouge, someone mentioned how we all ‘wear a mask’ in our everyday lives.  It reminded him of this poem:

 

We Wear the Mask

BY PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR 1872–1906 

 

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!

Comments

mask

I don't like it

Posted by iqra malik

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