We wear that mask that
Puts a pretty face
On the web for all to see
Smiling constantly
No privacy…
When will the weary find rest?
We wear the mask that
Hides the pain
Unique to PTSD,
We see too many
Extrajudicial killings constantly,
My soul needs to breathe.
We wear the mask that
Society has deemed
Is the only acceptable face,
Told to stay in your place
Niggers are bred to be strong
And don’t have feelings anyway.
We wear the mask that
Was given, or better yet forced
A constant reminder of the worse the world can offer
Removal hasn’t been proper,
Im fearful for our sons and daughters
For many, the masked has fused
And there’s nothing they can do
And the fine line’s disappeared
Between the mask and you.
We wear the mask that
None want to be accountable for
It’s from the past,
Thus not their problem
Don’t suffocate in your suffering
It’ll be all your fault
And please dont do it on the marble floor passed down from many generations before.
We wear the masks that
Made ancestors strong, and
Helped a nation manifest destiny
A mask worn too long
Under the scorn of unappreciation
A mask that encompasses the past
And the future we’re facing.
#NationalPoetryMonth
@youthspeaks
#daily prompt
#love #healing #poetry #black #art #free #write #poem #heart #blackart #divine #ase