How brave, in reality,
is a ‘brave face’?
A facade shared,
it would seem,
by the majority of
the human race.
Beneath the flakes
of a painted mask
lies a truth too long
and painful to explain,
no matter how oft
you care to ask.
How long before the cracks
become far too wide
to conceal with powders,
potions and creams
and the crimson smile
starts to slip and slide.
How long before there is
but an empty shell,
containing the dust
of all that you were
and all that you
could never tell.
The dust seeps through cracks
that no longer bind,
forming flowing rivers
of a life long past,
to be carried away
on a wild winter wind.
So, how brave, in reality,
is a ‘brave face’
and how long can
your trembling fingers
hold the fragile mask,
so bravely in place?
Written by Darren Scanlon, 2nd June 2015.
Revised 28th February 2023.
©2023 Darren Scanlon. All rights reserved.
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