Masque

A senryu, ryhme, free verse piece that paints a face in many colors of emotions.

Masque 

By

Carlos Lorenzo Estrada 

Masque she hides behind

I wonder to know her heart

fall to her disguise 

There's comfort in the masques she wears

Their various colors reflect piece of you

My love wears many different faces

Some hidden away from view

In a shroud of onyx she is melancholic 

In a vale of ice she becomes callous

In her face of pink rose petals she's love

In black mascara she's anger in malice

Her masque of pearl she reflects virtue

In porcelain she is tender of heart

In verdant leaves she's serendipity 

But in ashes she's woeful and dark

There is no song I can sing or portrait I can paint

Words and colors fall short in her kaleidoscope ego

Though the garments she wears may be subtler in tone

Revealing aspects of her disposition; she is simply woman 

I have seen her recite love in rags of death

Rail in anger while draped in clover

She's tender in the wounds she's caused me

Indifferent to the tears of my sorrow 

She will laugh at the indecency of her nature 

Persecute and judge others for the same

Challenge my intellect with ignorance 

Beguile me in the wisdoms of the profane 

I am the masque she wears.

Author's Note

My muse Cate asked me what I thought of her. I said nothing because all reasonable thoughts go out the window when it comes to her. I don't think, I feel, and in doing so open my heart up to be chastised, scarred, devoured, and loved. She sprinkles the poison of joy in Hemlock kisses. For her inspiration; I don't think I would have it any other way. This poem is inspired by my muse Cate and also the great Album from Billy Joel called "the stranger".

Reviews

[Lisasview]

Oh my, another fabulous poem ... I read your Authors Notes which I also felt compelling.. I know the feeling of not thinking..the words just come out of me..and I take such chances with my words..
The ying and yang of man and woman..The in's and out's and so on... opening your heart for others to see and read is wonderful.. I find your poem full of hidden ~ unexpected surprises.. and I love that..
Lisa, now in Spain

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you Lisa for your touching comment on this poem. You are absolutely correct there are so many hidden things within this piece which is an amalgamation of several poetic styles. I wanted the challenge of melding them into a singular theme. There are quite a few color flourishes within the poem and yet I feel a bit of mystery as well behind the painted guises. Love is never one color, nor as are we as human beings. Our moods are painted in variety for the sole purpose to capture attention and interest in our uniqueness. You are absolutely correct writing is very liberating as well as personally revealing. It speaks to the heart of a person who seeks such an endeavor. For we are seen between the words. Thank you so much again for your kind words.

[Lisasview]

You are most welcome...thank you for your response which in its self is like a poem ...
Lisa

[andrew mitchell]

Another gem of a write. Reminds me of a saying. Happy wife, happy life! Heaven or hell are just two facets in the fascination, exploration of going out with women. Lol

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

I would have to agree with that saying lol. Thank you kindly Andrew.

[Julie McCarthy (juliesp..]

Truly outstanding beautiful write
I’ll be back for more !!!
Thanks 🙏

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you Julie you're too kind. I appreciate it. I wanted to challenge myself but writing three different styles of poetry on a single theme. I was actually happy the way that this came to life. It was a bold write but so much fun to compose. Thank you again for your kind words.

[Gideon X. A. Elson]

The elegance contained here in nought but words astounds! The places this took me are but my own! And if truthful yours. Thank you my friend, for your feelings inspired this peace, and there in made me the reader feel as well. BRAVO bravo

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you Gideon for your kind comment on this piece. I'm heading into my late 50's and still find women the greatest mystery of this world. Like fire wrapped in silk. I don't think I'll ever scratch the surface of their beguiling demure. They will always be living breathing poetry to me.

[Vertigo Cat1111]

This is such a beautiful rollercoaster of a piece! It took you dipping through so much emotions and colors, it felt like separate places, truly amazing. It’s crazy how just feeling something can make you write something so beautiful. I love the work you do in making all your art respectful, especially towards her wife and so much is inspired by her. Oh, and Billy Joel, what a great choice! A classic artist. Thank you so much for sharing!

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you so much for the comment. I have to admit a bit of struggle with this piece. From the narrative voice it has a bit of bias and misogyny in it. Skewed to one-sided perspective. Despite me trying to change it I found myself simply re-adding portions I had attempted to remove. There are times a writer may not always agree with a piece of art they produced, but recognize a bit of beauty between the words that deserve to be heard. The last line of the poem is perhaps its heart. For the narrator recognizes they are the reason for the many faces worn by their love. Thank you Colacat for your kind encouragement I really appreciate it.

[Katarzyna Anna Koziorow..]

I like your creative style. Your poems have an atmosphere that suits my soul. I will be happy to come back here. I wish you a lot of creative inspiration. Best wishes.

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you Katarzyna for your kind encouraging comment. I truly appreciate it. I wish you the same in your remarkable writing as well. Thank you so much.

[M. J. Smith]

Women are the most wonderful and most dangerous muses. One minute they send you to the heavens like a sky rocket. The next, they drag you to Hell in chains.
But would we have them any other way? After all, who really wants to cage an eagle in flight?

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

I totally agree with you. Without them in my life I would have never known the many facets of love. The reason I write is because of one particular woman who taught me the power of storytelling. Because of my grandmother I would never have been influenced to grow this joyful gift inside of me. Thank you, M.J. for your comment on this poem.

[M. J. Smith]

You're truly welcome, my friend.

[William Michael Reeves]

Interesting. I feel like you wrote a Senryu, but he'd so much more to express the rest just came along. If so, I get that same feeling after writing in 17 syllables. I have more to say. I like what you did as the poem proceeds it graduates. A kaleidoscope ego must be something to deal with. If you are the masque then there are two sides. An in and an out. Both quite different I'm sure.

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Yes to all your assertions on this piece of poetry. It is a deep complicated piece of work that was inspired by 3 songs from the old Billy Joel album "the stranger" as well as the many different qualities of past loves I have had in life from women who forever changed me as a man. In both the good ways and bad. Though I will do admit it is a biased perspective from only one point of view. Thank you again for sharing your thoughts with me on this poem, my friend.

[William Michael Reeves]

Where would we be without love and music Carlos? Somewhere we wouldn't want to be. Right, right?

[Patricia]

She is a woman, she is her experiences, not just her feelings from them but everyone she experienced them with she takes that in as part of her as well. It’s why men think we are so complicated. But you opened yourself to her and absorb it all, you will have a very good relationship if you never lose that ability. Great and passionate writing here

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you Patricia for your insight on this poem. It's taken me 56 years to gain this knowledge of understanding in the heart of a woman. This work was inspired by music from the old Billy Joel album The Stranger. It also represents the few women I have loved throughout my life who exhibited these and many other beautiful traits. Some may see these as frailties but I don't at all. They are alluring qualities and strengths in womanhood. In the composition of this poem I struggled with it because it felt very biased and misogynistic. In the weeks I put into it I was removing stanzas only to add them back in because of the flow and voice it was speaking from. It is a complicated passion piece I feel that speaks from a particular point of view. Nt always right and not always wrong. Thank you again for your kind thoughts on this poem.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

onyx/melancholic....love the in-near rhyme of that line.
Lots of that in here.
she is tantalizing and passionate, yet deadly.
She knows exactly what she is and rather than feel ashamed, she feels a certain giddiness for what she can do and cause to the poor but sometimes rich speaker of this poem.
j.

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you J for sharing your thoughts with me on this piece. One of my favorite songs of all time is a track off the Billy Joel album the stranger called "She's always a woman". It's such a haunting melody that speaks to the idiosyncrasies that a man sees in the love for a woman. That particular song along with "Just the way you are" and the title melody "The stranger" were the main inspirations for this piece. It was more hope to try to capture the essence of those songs some what in this three tier poem and combining them into a single theme and piece. Many aspects of those songs I have loved in the small handful of loves I have had in my past. In all honesty it made me cringe a bit because it felt bias and misogynist. But I am drawn to strong woman like that because I see those qualities not as frailties but strengths. You poet eyes have picked up on much of the nuances of this poem. Thank you as always my friend for your kind encouraging words.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Interesting...I only like two Billy Joel songs...and "she's always a woman to me" is one of the two songs.
The other is "Piano Man"
but I like your concept....I like when writers write about other artists and how they are influenced...I have done that many, many times in my own writing.
j.