"We Wear the Mask" by Paul Laurence Dunbar We wear the mask that grins and lies, It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,— This debt we pay to human guile; With torn and bleeding hearts we smile, And mouth with myriad subtleties. Why should the world be over-wise, In counting all our tears and sighs? Nay, let them only see us, while We wear the mask. We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries To thee from tortured souls arise. We sing, but oh the clay is vile Beneath our feet, and long the mile; But let the world dream otherwise, We wear the mask! #poetry #poet #poetrycommunity #poem #poems #africanamericanhistory #poetrylovers #poetryisnotdead #SLAM #zine #poetryzine #life #paullaurencedunbar #wewearthemask #celebrate #black #blackhistorymonth #blackhistory #history #celebratelife #writer #poetryofinstagram #poetryofig #poetsofinstagram #poetofig #writercommunity #writersofig #writersofinstagram #amwriting #pmwriting













