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 along the mile;
But let the world dream otherwise,
We wear the mask!
Dec 23, 2013
Dec 23, 2013 at 2:04 AM UTC
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 along the mile;
But let the world dream otherwise,
We wear the mask!
I do not own any part of this poem. I was looking through my Literature textbook when I came across this and I thought that it was absolutely beautiful.
