Quote:
Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872-1906)
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!
While this was written about the suffering of African-American slaves, one beauty of poetry is that it can resonate with many situations.
***DO NOT think that I am at all saying that Asperger's can be compared to slavery. No way. Don't even go there. I am simply sharing a poem that may be appreciated considering the title and subject of the post.***