Masked as Mother
Masks We Wear Challenge- entry #2
Masked as Mother
What's under- other
A cool demeanor
Hides something meaner
Often, I dreamt of someone other
To mow the lawn, make our grass greener
*
Masked as Mother
Don't leave us, Father
He's off to work
Prelude, her smirk
Encounter, No, I needn't bother
Disguise gone, my sidestep, shirk
*
Masked as Mother
Her love, no smother
Cold and distant
High-pitched rants
Indeed, so often hard to love her
Tween risen eyebrows, a cruel stance
*
Masked as Mother
Beneath, a monster
A child's looming nightmare
Contrasting words, no doubt, impair
Family should equal loving each other
At a loss, I struggled with "welfare"
*
Masked as Mother
I am now a mother
Seen the threat, lived her hell
Knowledge, power, lifts the spell
A fleur, a rose, she was always Mother
She did her best; she was just unwell
***
Author's note: My second entry in the challenge reflects maternal depression, specifically Postpartum. A personal reflection of a time when culture-specific ideologies and society shunned all talk of struggling mental health. The masks women wore, and still wear in our modern day, while raising a family, should not be there.
About the Creator
Marilyn Glover
Poet, writer, & editor, writing to uplift humanity. A Spiritual person who practices Reiki and finds inspiration in nature.
Mother of four, grandmother of two, British American dual citizen living in the States
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Comments (5)
Perfect
Excellent creation on point!!!
I agree, the mask shouldn't even be there. Loved your poem so much!
This is a powerful much-needed message and masterfully presented.
I love how each stanza peels back another layer of the “mask,” showing both pain and compassion. It's heartbreaking, but great work.