Mask & Mirror

I have always been fascinated with authenticity. What it means to authentic. Who is the real person within each of us. Society requires us to wear masks all the time. But we also pass by windows, mirrors and other sources of reflection that give us pause. That got me thinking about the complimentary roles of the mask and the mirror. One is associated with deception, while the other is a symbol of introspection and truth. Although they are not really opposites, they do serve a complimentary and sometimes contradictory role in our lives. As I looked back through my writings over the past dozen years, I found many poems about this subject. This gave me the impetus to focus on working on a collection that chose to title “Mask & Mirror.” I hope you enjoy these poems about identity, introspection and how we want others and ourselves to view us.