I have always been fascinated with authenticity. What it means to authentic. Who is the real person within each of us. Society requires us to wear masks all the time. But we also pass by windows, mirrors and other sources of reflection that give us pause. That got me thinking about the complimentary roles of the mask and the mirror. One is associated with deception, while the other is a symbol of introspection and truth. Although they are not really opposites, they do serve a complimentary and sometimes contradictory role in our lives. As I looked back through my writings over the past dozen years, I found many poems about this subject. This gave me the impetus to focus on working on a collection that I chose to title "Mask & Mirror." I hope you enjoy these poems about identity, introspection and how we want others and ourselves to view us.
This poetry collection is dedicated to Walt Whitman. He was a timeless poet ahead of his time. One of the pioneers of the development of American poetry, Whitman celebrated all that it was to be American. Much of this during a time when his beloved country was tearing itself apart during the Civil War. Unashamed of who he was, his poem "Song of Myself" is a tribute to the individual and a celebration of self-acceptance.
