Friday, September 11, 2009

Three Faces


Faces three, have I:

The first of these: the man you meet,
A smile, a nod, a hand to greet;
We pass each other on the street;
Conform to tailored comport;

Perchance we then become as friends,
My second face I will extend;
A child who trusts, who apprehends,
Who laughing's lost in transport;

But ask me not to know the other,
Nor friend, nor wife, nor dearest mother;
All inward glimpse I strive to smother;
Let darkness hide grim contort;

Know that every mask
Hides a mask
Which hides a demon;

Faces three, have I...

1 comment:

Mari Gold said...

This is a really wonderful poem. And, as the picture suggests, there are even more than three faces (to all of us).