37) Masquerades

A smile on the face, a twinkle in the eye,
With strength in her will, some odds she defied,
For her heart suffered what her face didn’t betray,
That the look of happiness was just a masquerade.

He looked unyielding, tough and strong,
With a clear distinction between right and wrong,
But that countenance was now just a way of his life,
Used as a mask to hide his insecurities inside.

Her face showed innocence, sparkling through,
She seemed gullible to a glance new,
But the innocence just masked a demeanor sly,
Used as an opportunity to some naïve one beguile.

He worshipped his mother and feared the goddess,
In public had a personality respectable and modest,
But had tortured for dowry to his ego feed,
And killed two unborn girls for his baby-boy greed.

Oh each one knows all this for we have our own masks too,
But when someone else does it they are the hypocrites few,
For the intent no matter whether innocent or not,
It’s all hypocrisy there is not a doubt.

The world’s our carnival as we flaunt our masks,
After all there is an overwhelming lack of trust,
And it’s an irony that for lack of trust we conceal,
For the mask is the reason we fail someone’s test of belief.

So is it cowardice or obligation, show of bravery or just guile?
Why do we masquerade our real selves all the while?
If only we could discard the covers and come clean,

And remain true to others around and to within.

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