Lynn White

Masquerade

We create so many masks, 

so many masks to hide behind.

We hide our face features,

to hide ourselves.

We may make new ones

in wood or plastic,

stone or papier-mâché,

create new features, new faces

as we  paint our faces,

make ourselves up

and symbolise

who we are

or want to be

at that time.

We shape the face featured

in our masquerade

like black magic.

Ahead Of The Curve

I wanted to get ahead

and stay ahead

ahead

of the curve,

but Magritte intervened.

He faced me up

painted my face,

featured me anew

and made an ass of me.

About Face

In those streets

of men and boys,

in that country 

for men and boys,

he felt like a man with no face,

his face space occupied

by a swirling mist of confusion.

So he had to wait, 

as they all waited,

for it to settle down

to see what emerged

if anything did.

Sometimes 

he wished for a blank space

that he could fill himself

with his own face features,

or even a woman

unmasked

featured

and visible.

Sometimes

he wished he could wear

the same features every day,

wake up with that face in place

and know it would stay,

know what he would be,

what he could be every day.