The Evening Masque

At last I reached the evening masque

A lofty fête in which to bask

In the highest circles fit to task

Lords and ladies, all abounds

In every nook and corner of the grounds

Each partaking of its lavish bounds

Masks, it seemed, were all propriety

To these right and proper scions of society

To guise their luscious sin and gilt depravity

Drunken laughter rung the halls

As debutants gathered willing thralls

Through perfumed words and bawdy brawls

At once I seemed less than flamboyant

As other revelers became avoidant

For lacked I thus a mask in employment

As I thought to catch the fleeing splendor

I found a hope in a hidden vendor

Of masks which could suitable costume render

He stood in habiliments old and greyed

O'er a low table with his masks arrayed

His face hidden 'neath the ghastly mask of a Shade

"Come," said he, "I can provision

"The greatest mask to improve your vision

"Before these halls of such great derision."

Though afraid I was, my feet obeyed

That deathly fearsome mask of Shade

To procure a better face for which to trade

"Kind sir," said I, "I need your aid

"For I wish to match these faces displayed

"But I lack the tender to you persuade."

He laughed, just then, at my reply

"I need no tender, I can comply

"With your honest need for my supply.

"The Dove," said he, "is a good device

"Of graceful demeanor and kind advice

"To cloak a lust for many a vice.

"The Lion is loved by many a stud

"For bravery, will, and strength to flood

"A haughty heart engorged with blood.

"The Fox, I know, is a favorite, too

"To suit the whims of an ambitious few

"Who once had morals their dreams outgrew.

"These and more and can thus proffer

"To those in possession of sins to stopper

"And it is these faces to you I offer."

My heart beat fast with cold surprise

When my mind did sit on a new surmise

When I thought upon the Shade's disguise

"I have," asked I, "a question fairer:

"What lies below your mask much rarer

"That pallid visage of morbid terror?"

The Shade did laugh with rasping grim

"This mask is of a fabric ever slim

"For I, and only I, fill its brim.

"It occurs to me, from my humble station

"An offer, a far truer recommendation

"For a mask that suits your situation."

The Shade then reached beneath his coif

To pry his horrid gruesome mask off

Nothing showed within as it was held aloft

"See," said he, "what lies beneath!

"I am nothing but my shadow's sheath

"And this mask to you I now bequeath!"

I tried, then, failingly to understand

The absent specter seen firsthand

With his mask placed gently in my hand

And though he was just there before

The Shade vanished without one trace more

Except solely for his mask which I now bore.