April 14, 2009

What I learned this week

What I learned this week is hosted by JoLynn over at Musings of a Housewife (she has a Super giveaway on her reviewsing blog right now too - a desk top organizing system - check it out!)

I learned from my internet friend Laura that April is Poetry Month. I once fancied myself a poet. Actualy I still LOVE to write poems - I just don't have skills like the great! I thought in honor of poetry month I would share one of my all time favorites with you (the pros, not my own)

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!

And this has been a favorite poem of mine for a VERY long time - so long in fact that when my brother was just about 10 he made this for me (twenty years ago)
Oh the memories.

15 comments:

Kim H. said...

What a great memory -- and I'm so impressed you have that piece of art framed. That's awesome!

And don't be expecting any poetry from me anytime soon. Bad Haikus are a big enough stretch for me most days.

Kim Priestap said...

I love the poem and the drawing you saved all those years.

Anonymous said...

oo such great memories! That poem is beautiful!

Bonnie said...

I've never heard that poem but it is beautiful and so true.. so true. My Mom used to love poetry, makes me wonder what happened to her old poetry books. I'm going to ask my Dad.

That's pretty special, that your broher made that for you. I'm sure you treasure it!

Now we know where Lauren got her love of poems.

whoopsadasie said...

That is sooo neat that you have that from your brother to help you remember that great poem!

Becky said...

I have no doubt that you would be great at anything you put your mind to - poetry included!

Laura said...

I love that poem too and I love that your brother made that illustration for you.

Amy Platon said...

Poems rock!

jen@odbt said...

That is a great poem and how nice you have your brother's drawing to go with it. Do you have the poem attached to the back of it too?

bradsling said...

I vaguely remember that!

Musings of a Housewife said...

That's so sweet that you still have that artwork from your brother. I've never heard that poem, but I can relate. :-)

Debbie said...

That is so great that you have that framed work by your brother.
And I entered her giveaway for that organizing system. I so need that!

Unknown said...

Love the poem and the drawing.

Thanks for sharing it - a great memory.

Alison said...

That is an amazing poem. And how cool that you have the drawing framed to remember it by!

Kristin said...

I've never heard this before - but I love it! Thanks for posting it!