who is it that hides
who is it that steps up to
each side of a mask
False face must hide what the false heart doth know
William Shakespeare
Hamlet 1.7
Tell me what I see when I look in your eyes
Is it you, baby, or just a brilliant disguise?
Bruce Springsteen
For more poetic responses to this prompt, visit One Single Impression
Click here to view an acoustic duet of "Brilliant Disguise" by Bruce Springsteen and his wife/bandmember, Patti Scialfa.
Photo of Javanese bird mask by D. Godin
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23 comments:
One of my favorite Bruce songs!
You won last week's Sunday Funnies contest :)
E-mail me where to send your prize!!
This is a beautiful post. Deborah. And thanks for the Springstein link.
..be it neitzshe or zen or a different philosophical strand i believe u treat logical issues with graceful understanding -(Sunday Funnies-congrats!)..thanks for a lovely poem..
It does take an agreement on both parts for the disguise to be successful.
Deborah, I believe this prompt is here because of the upcoming election. I can read candidate(s) and incumbent all the way!
Your poems may win another prize, the prize for my interpretation!
I'll keep looking. And yes, mine is in a lighter vein.
..
brilliant consideration...both sides of the mask
Those disguises can so easily mislead, unless we realise they are invariably there.
Something to think about. Does it make me shallow to like the Springsteen quote better than Shakespeare??
Ah, good one!! And I love Springstein -- no surprise! so thanks for the link.
I loved this, Deborah--
Someone does indeed have to step up to the disguise.
When I used to work with hospice and people would talk about the purpose of denial (of the disease, of impending death or loss, etc), it was always helpful to remember that we humans can't be in denial if on some level we haven't already acknowledged the truth of whatever it is that we deny...
That mechanism reminds me of how you so clearly highlighted both sides of the mask.
Many thanks!
the viewer may have more subtle disguises than the one behind the obvious mask.
I love this post Deborah! You are so creative and how poignant and true about disquises hiding the truths! Great post!!
Talk about deep (thanks for the compliment, by the way)! I LOVE this. It's so simple and profound at the same time. Love the two quotes too. Superlative post.
that bird mask has an expression of surprise!!
Stepping up to each side is a wonderful idea. I wonder, Deborah. Thanks. Just thinking about the courage it takes to step up either way.
Be careful of the mask you choose,
because it reveals you more than it hides you
Alfred de Musset
Great quotes but super verse. Don't want to read too much into it but it seems perfect for Nov. 3 2008. Thank you.
The mask is a line in the sand. I really like this haiku...
Excellent post ... I love the idea of stepping up to each side of the mask. Is it the face or the hear that is hiding?
Peace,
JP/deb
dear deborah,
i admire ur writing and the person that emerges through it.
why have u stopped coming to my blog?..
I like the idea behind this. It makes me wonder at the ways in which the bearer might disguise (or transform for that matter) in the presence of the wearer. Great work.
Hi Deborah -- Did you change your poem? I had not thought before of a mask with non-similar sides.
I'm thinking. I like. I'm still thinking.
..
..thank u deborah..
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