Red Masquerade
People can either be fickle friends or foes
Oftentimes, we will never truly know
Because life is a frivolous masquerade
Where many never reveal their face
Like the obverse side of a coin
Their gaze remains shrouded in mystery
A crowd of faces that remain unseen
Until we hit a breaking point
And our masks are coated in a red sheen
Painted by our blood stained misery
Look closely
What do you see?
That’s crumbling white foundation
From everyone’s clown make up
Smudged by sweat and tears
The white paint is deceptive
It promises a tabula rasa and yet
Despair causes the foundation to morph into pink
Before finally turning bold red
An unsightly avatar and inferno’s beloved seal
When the red takes reign
Honesty can’t be feigned
Our plights are finally revealed
Thrust into the spotlight for the world to see
By now, it’s too late to soothe these muffled screams
No apologies will diminish this tragic cacophony
And even then, this sympathy is very brief