Hiding behind charming smiles
covered by busy lives
scars heal in their own time
secrets swept away from the wiseThe lies come easy and sweet
“I ran into a door”
rolling off the tongue nice and neat
“I grazed my knee on the floor”“Oh silly, silly me!”
That mask- with the smile painted on
never left my face
until now
©Vivian Zems
dVerse Poets OLN #229
Smell The Coffee 
October 4, 2018 at 10:19 pm
We spend so much time wearing masks–work, friends, even home. It is always a dangerous enterprise to lower the mask and reveal the real You.
LikeLike
October 4, 2018 at 10:23 pm
Oh, we all have masks of sorts to protect ourselves, it is nice to find someone we can let down the mask for without fear.
LikeLike
October 4, 2018 at 11:52 pm
Nice “s” sound in this line: “secrets swept away from the wise”
LikeLike
October 4, 2018 at 11:59 pm
So sad and we hear it all the time. The excuses to cover up the horror.
LikeLike
October 5, 2018 at 12:40 am
Sometimes we wear it too often we forget to take it off. Good one Vivian and wishing you happy weekend.
LikeLiked by 1 person
October 5, 2018 at 9:18 pm
Thank you Grace😊 And you too!
LikeLike
October 5, 2018 at 12:47 am
Oh boy, does this hit! How we deny, bury ourselves in prisons of shame. Well done.
LikeLiked by 1 person
October 5, 2018 at 9:17 pm
Thank you- and well said!
LikeLiked by 1 person
October 5, 2018 at 1:25 am
Sad that options for help are sometimes worse than the pain.
LikeLike
October 5, 2018 at 3:34 am
I love how the last stanza states a self-realization that drops the mask.
LikeLiked by 1 person
October 5, 2018 at 9:16 pm
Thanks Astrid!😊
LikeLike
October 5, 2018 at 6:49 am
That’s a great list of three in the title, Viv: ‘Lies, Smiles and Guiles’, and you’ve made the point so well in the lines:
‘The lies come easy and sweet
“I ran into a door”
rolling off the tongue nice and neat’.
LikeLiked by 1 person
October 5, 2018 at 9:16 pm
Thanks Kim!
LikeLiked by 1 person
October 6, 2018 at 11:02 am
Sometimes it’s important to hide our woes behind a mask made of smiles .. lest the world takes advantage and devours us whole.. 💜
LikeLiked by 1 person
October 6, 2018 at 10:22 pm
Another way to look at it, Sanaa
LikeLike
October 6, 2018 at 2:25 pm
Oh, hiding these scars become a habit of sorts but the pain lingers. This is quite heartfelt.
LikeLike
October 6, 2018 at 3:00 pm
pretending and hoping it will all go way – beautiful poetry!
LikeLike
October 6, 2018 at 3:11 pm
Lies… I wonder why we tell them… fear? shame?… the only thing I think is that many lies are like a house of cards…
LikeLike
October 6, 2018 at 4:24 pm
Sad to know the abused often cover for the tormentor with smiling lies…powerful post!
LikeLiked by 1 person
October 6, 2018 at 9:40 pm
Ah..’tis always the sad way
LikeLike
October 7, 2018 at 6:19 pm
The averted eye, the little lie…so much to navigate in human relationships. (K)
LikeLiked by 1 person
October 7, 2018 at 7:57 pm
Indeed…. it’s as you say
LikeLiked by 1 person