A Public Face
I
He has only this,
his public face.
No-one has asked him
if there is more,
in case it shatters the air,
or breaks a law.
II
If he has gone
on to convey
misgivings,
the public's shock and fear
relay a gulf
unbridgeably clear.
III
He shuts a door
more tightly fit,
dumbfounded by the strangers
and their chosen fates,
unlit. A life is real
inside, and emanates.
Faisal Grant, 23 June, 2011.
Hello Faisal:
ReplyDelete'A Public Face' may, ideed, be outside of the public face of your blog, but we are so glad that you have included it here. And the way in which you have so very carefully and thoughtfully presented your poem does, we feel, add an additional dimension to what is already, of course, an 'art' work.
Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity of reading and seeing this.
You're too kind, Jane and Lance. I'm grateful to have culturally-informed and considerate readers, such as yourselves, whose perspective I value.
ReplyDeleteFaisal,
ReplyDeleteWe all wear a mask that the people around us see. It takes great courage and trust on our part to remove the mask and let the select few (or one!) to see our real, "private" face.
You have posted this and allowed us a glimpse of your inner self. This has made me feel privileged as I read your excellent poem.
Nicholas,
ReplyDeletethat's a real compliment. I feel that if any creative work touches you, it's not just to the credit of the creator, but to yourself, that you have the capacity to recognise something resonant. Creativity is a shared experience, isn't it?
I actually rather enjoy the mix of gardening and poetry/prose and anything else mundane or ethereal you wish to post about.
ReplyDeleteHow is your new doggy companion getting along?
Thankyou, Meggs. Zara is getting alot more bounce each day. I find life much easier with a dog.
ReplyDeleteLike me, I feel, you don't want to just blog about a single subject...