Pretence

And impersonation.

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Pretence and impersonation
Behind the mask can you see the eyes?
Carefully concealed and camouflaged
A filmy and enigmatic disguise.

Prizes for disguises at a dress-up
Points for impersonations too
Trying to make sense of a smokescreen
Behind the veil is it true?

Eclipsed by the veil of a shadow
Suspicion is the vision of disguise
Glossed over by the filigree patterns
A cloak spoke the language of surprise.

Rubik’s Cubes puzzles and sudoku
Crosswords written without clues
Blank labels stitched onto clothing
Disguises displayed on the TV news.

Blind as a bat and blinking
Not seeing the forest for trees
Stumbling in disguise in the darkness
Looking for the keys down on my knees.

Misty moments most remembered
The curves and tattoos on her thighs
Passed by like the last goodbye
like fleeting snowdrops in disguise.

Dressed up and wearing diamanté
A faraway look colours her eyes
Lining up for the blue ribbon
First prize for the best disguise.

These days it’s another phase
To be sure the mask complies
The keep-safe restrictions
Is the universal disguise.

©

David Rudder
2024

Thank you for reading this piece and my poetry.