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In my youth, my beloved English instructor, Mrs. L. Coleman, introduced me to one of America’s most prolific writers and poets, Mr. Paul Laurence Dunbar. I was particularly drawn to a poem he penned titled “We Wear the Mask.”
My adult travels afforded me the opportunity to befriend and work with my now dearly departed friend and one of the world’s greatest and prolific lyricists, Larry Marcus, aka Marcus “Bingo” King, cousin to the legendary, B.B. King. Marcus wrote and sang with Gerald Levert and his group the Rude Boys, the Grammy-nominated song “It’s Written All Over Your Face.”
Most if not all of us are familiar with the iconic sounds of one of Americas most popular R&B groups, the O’Jays, and their popular tune “The Back Stabbers.” These artists and their songs often epitomize the inner struggles of “Faces in A Crowd.”
The great Paul Laurence Dunbar put pen to paper to bring light to the heartbreak and heartache of a pretentious smile, hidden within pseudo happiness as to not to offend his detractors and become labeled as a troublemaker and an ingrate. Here’s an excerpt:
“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.
The O’Jays lyrics are a cautionary tale inundated with warnings of intended deceit: They smile in your face, faces in a crowd, they have no particular “color” or hue, they are nameless, they may be broken, they may be seeking approval, they may be lying to themselves to continue some narcissistic practices and behaviors, could it be, “their smile are just frowns turned upside down.” Are they wearing “the masks”? Are the smiles expressions of love, are the placid looks filled with pain and deceit?
What face do you wear in the crowd? Does your face match your heart?
© Melvin “Casey” Lars
_Photomailto:[email protected]
–Photo credit: Shuttercock
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Photo credit: Shutterstock