[poetry] On Masks

In our only non-senior moment, Red Skies staffers Sara Pompeo, Joseph Bova, and Rachel Baumann poetically consider the consciousness of masks.

Fabric Kisses

When it hit––

PUNCHED

STRUCK

THRASHED

And FESTERED

My favorite dress became a buffer for bated breath and

Every little angel was bleached

Out of my hands

Until

At last,

I was alone with my MASK,

My new polyester lover––

A speechless,

Suffocating

Nasty babe that JAILS me with his

Chapped

Wooly

6-foot arms

And STIFLES me with

Dirty fabric

Kisses

Heavier than God.

--Sara Pompeo

Layered Mask

I wear this shield upon my face,

A protector from the threats of today.

I see these masks every single day,

Whether they encase a face fully or not.

I feel my mouth move with my brain,

But my eyes mask all this inner pain.

I fake a smile, but you cannot see,

For this mask covers what lies beneath.

I hope that people will be able to see,

But this mask masks who I’m meant to be.

--Joseph Bova

“Smiling” Photographs

Everyone must cover their face

with a picture of their choice

Solid wire digs in to your nose

and leaves an imprint like a rubber band once did on your wrist

On your hand you count the seconds it takes for breath to mist your glasses

At least until it frustrates you and you’d rather squint

One,     Squint to see wrinkles under the eyes, the only details to show we smile

Two,     Do we smile? It's hard to tell if I should anymore. Suddenly smiles must be genuine

Three,  I can’t see around me, everything has become murky

Four,    I can’t recognize the girl behind the mask, I’m not sure I can breathe

Five,    Is it my anxiety that suffocates me, or am I just anxious because I can’t see

Six,     The fog started to lift and we made awkward eye contact again. Then one ...

America says it's time to match denim jeans with black emboldened politics

America says designer rhinestones and Disney will give me a sense of dignity

America says you must be alone, but “here's how to be happy at home”

What does America know of my sanity

when they no longer see me smile?

Companies capitalize on covering us up

Smiles erased to invisibility

Mentally, physically, they no longer exist

We buy pastel rainbows to pretend we still know humanity

“We still seek community”: Can you say that confidently?

Or do you, like me, just want to curl up on a couch into oblivion?

Another show to binge, another book to read

Animal Crossing, Asassin’s Creed

Amazon, Amazon, Amazon

Loneliness brings greed

I never imagined I would be greedy for air too

A single tear erased the old mask below

only to be swiftly reapplied

by makeup and deep breaths

we never forgot that kind

But now in soft cotton images

we are reminded of discomfort and our lack of discipline

It's not the mask we’re used to, and

all they see are your eyes

the pure, teary vulnerability you hide

What's left of honesty?

Colorless faces, baby blue masks

--Rachel Baumann