We Wear The Mask

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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!
–Paul Laurence Dunbar

One comment

  1. Unknown's avatar
    Anonymous · 6 Days Ago

    I think this is a perfect example of code switching. We wear a mask to get by. We can never share what we are really thinking or feeling because it will be used against us. In addition to being viewed as a weakness.

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