Poem - Binding Words

[kokopelle]

Ruth Negga is credited with the statement, “You become an actor, some people do, not everybody, to hide and disappear and I worry sometimes, ‘Gosh, doing this circuit, as they call it, is very much presenting yourself to the world’, and that can be a little intimidating for actors who basically like to hide.” This really struck a chord in me. Sometimes I take for granted that artistic expression will be used to explain aspects of the artist. This is not always the case. Extend Ruth’s characterization of “actor” to “writer” and then to “blogger”. Social media is an avenue for either revealing the self or hiding the self behind a screen of bland mutterings or disingenuous cheerfulness. My poem “Binding Words” examines the path of a person hiding in their expression. The stanzas demonstrate the price that’s paid in the effort.

Binding Words

I’ll hide behind these binding words
make pretend I’m something else
a shadow of the inner mind
heart and soul concealed in prose

deceit is not my base intent
when shame states its desire
wishing nothing to deface
perception based on purity

blessings showered from above
nothing ill has occurred
this will be the message sent
when honesty has been replaced

this temptation does exist
it’s not lying to remit
all the pain felt within
to only show the shiny bits

I’ll chain the muse to my will
deny it breadth of my self
scratching only joy and bliss
in prosaic latitudes

presentation is obscured
with only best brought forward
my defense cloaks the hurt
a wounded person binding words

© 2018. Sean Green. All Rights Reserved. 20180318.