Masks Without Eyes

Who walks among us
noticing not the
spurious light flooding
eyelids ever open?

A priori veracity holds safely
even as eyes peering
from vacuous ignorance
remain impervious to gathering clouds
knowing little the inner teardrops
that rise to cleanse
truth's inner path

Struggling as dishonesty might
the slits in its masker's façade
fail to hide betrayal's hidden guilt
even as cautious trickles of inquiry
sometimes beckon resistance to
deception's allure

Sadly

Unblinking eyelids stay open
never sleeping
never visiting
slumber's repository of wisdom waiting   

Prisoners pride this gluttonous pleasure
like vizards past
continuing as maskers modern
donning
lifts
nips
botox
and implants

Rejoicing over replaceable surface-wear
save eyes that look
but seldom see

Beware

These modern day masks
all adornment for manipulation
venturing invitation with smiles
innocence with praise
ignorance with pandering

Oozing elixirs of lies
effortlessly upon captured minds
enhancing self-loathing
reopening wounds of guilt
imprisoning forever life's mistakes

Remember

Eyes open shut
never slumber
immured and blind
bungeed atop slippery slopes
precariously daring
but never free

Some come by day
others by night
duplicitous layers
of color made friendly
swirling caldrons of platitudes
deafening small ears of
lesser pretense
creating minions of
somnolent followers
creating neither peace
nor meaning of breath

Forever masks without eyes