Tuesday, June 13, 2023

OBSCURE POETS-PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR

 


Born in Dayton, Ohio in 1872

Poet, short story writer, and novelist

Was a classmate of Orville Wright

"We Wear The Mask" his most famous poem

Died of tuberculosis in 1906


We Wear the Mask

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 long the mile;
But let the world dream otherwise,
       We wear the mask!

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WORDS OF WISDOM

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