The Mask
By HF
The mask, positive to conceal the pain
The mask, negative to succumb to shame
What mask to wear, when, where, and how
Fortune 500 Board of Directors seat, is it best to wear it now?
Should we only wear the mask, when it’s life or death?
Post racism, post Obama, is it safe to show our faces yet?
I wear the mask because I’m a Menace to Society
Do I shed the mask, for Black Lives to Matter to me?
If I reveal my true countenance, who will I see?
Should I illuminate as a dark prince, will this white world reject me (Jeremiah Hamilton)
My frowns nuanced smiles, I’ll continue to conceal the fact
That I wear the Mask, because it’s too dangerous to be too Black
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HF,
This is a beautiful poem that truly encapsulates so much of the raw emotion coming up in our country right now with a quiet power. I like the image of the mask and the Fortune 500 Board of Directors- it speaks to both race and the Black Lives Matter movement, while also alluding to the Occupy Wall Street movement and interests of the 1%. It is important to ask whether post-Obama, issues surrounding race and the rights of minorities are better or worst. I think your last line says it all “That I wear the Mark, because its too dangerous to be black.” It proves to people that race is and maybe will always be an issue, and its important to address it both literally and poetically.
-CP
I read this at write night, March 23. This is quite a poem. It works on first reading, but I went over it again and again, testing the lines. The question, “is it safe to show our faces yet?” dips deep into a major part of the experience of being black, as far as I can see. Keep up the good work, HF.
Dear HF,
I found your poem powerful. In particular, the questions you posed forced me to worry and wonder about those same uncertainties with you.
You did a beautiful job of making your individual experience of navigating a world that wasn’t built for you speak to the universal issue of marginalization.
Please keep writing and especially about such important subjects. I would love to read more.
Your fan,
Rachael
very very powerful
HF,
This poem is truly powerful, as it speaks the truth of what happens in this country and the reality of so many young black men’s lives. I appreciate its’ raw honesty and how it encapsulates the notion that racism is over because of Obama, and even furthermore, the Civil Rights Movement over 50 years ago. Racism is still very much alive and poignant in our society. My favorite part is when you talk about wearing a mask to conceal who you really are, because it is often the case that black individuals are persecuted and shamed for not assimilating to white culture. This poem really moved me. Black lives matter. Stay strong, HF.