Masquerader

8/6/2019 Masquerader

1/20

MASQUERADER2009A Book of PoetryBy Micah Knapp

Artwork byJenni Potts


2/20

THE PRETENDER

Convince myselfthat thats not me,reflections,

reflecting this stranger,starring back at me.

Lets play make-believe,just be who you want to be.

Take it, lets just run with it.Shut out the facts,

just say its so.

In my world,through my eyes,

Ill be who I want to be.

One day, Ill be freeof this burden,

tear this mask away,reveal this true identity.

In the meantime,Ill just be who I want to be.


3/20

PARANOIA STRIKES

I dread this walk,theres nothing herebut my thoughts.

If only you could comprehend this pain,but you wouldnt understandthis building fear.

This smiles just an act,simply for your own amusement.

Paranoia strikes.These thoughts repeat,

like a growing cancerin my mind.

Erase these moments,here to stay forever.This isnt the light,

in which I care to be reflected.

These frail limbsoutstretched,flailing helplessly

in the storm.These waves just bring me down.


4/20


5/20

DRIVING FORCE

Its taken control,unbeknownst,

enjoyed the ridemore than youd

like to know.

You are host,to this parasite

you now call home.Its a constant.

Inhabits the mind,like an invader.

I thought I would have left this all behind,outgrown this in its adolescence.

But here it resides,waiting to rear its ugly head.

Ive succumbed to my own demise,given up hope,

a submission to an honest truth.You are my driving force,

Fear.


6/20

HATE BREEDS

A ticking time bomb,ready to explode,

awaiting its moment.

The seed grows,hidden behind these bars.

Failing to restrain,it knows no limits.

The animal inside,seething,

about to showits jaws.

Im afraid of whats in here,ready to be unleashed.

With no regret,all reason disappears,

rage with no boundaries,set loose.

Its capable in you,its capable in me.

Hate breeds.

(Hate breeds)

The cut runs deep,but now its opened up

for everyone to see.Its too late to take it back.


7/20

THIS DEFENSE

Whats hidden behind these doors?These locks a reason

for this persuasive temptation,to want to barricade

yourself from this deception.

These thoughts an assault,an attempt to infiltrate

your defenses.

A mindless representationof your selfish act.

No regrets. An effort,if only failed to succeed.

Wake me from thishypnotic slumber,

so that I might recollectthese lost moments.


8/20

SHROUD OF ILLUSION

Through this disguise,you convey

nothing more thana Shroud

of Illusion.

An impostor.Pull the rabbit from the hat,and through this veiled haze,

we shall exposethe naked truth.

Your hands have failed

these strings,no masterto control.

Throughyour conviction bleedsthese unearthed truths.Perpetuation breeds

reconciliation.

You hide behindyour mask of liesand whos to say

whats real.


9/20

FACADE

We tango this facade.Can you keep in step?

I know that Ive lost sightof the movement.

This stranger,a mere shadow.

Distant,yet together.

Close,yet detached.

This dance,a sorry excuse

to exercisea false sense of security.

Your lips moved,but the words escaped me

in the midstof flight.


10/20


11/20

FAUX

Oh Beauty Princess,you live in a box.

(Live in a box),Its just a faux.

Just a faux.

The bombs keep falling,you stained your dress.

The kids keep crying,and you think you care.

If only youd realizehow to find

the imaginary lines.Break free,for me.

Prince Charmings just some schmuck,putting on a show,

only to use youfor your skin.

Welcome to real life

where the horrors are real,but youve got your dreams

and God for appeal.


12/20

TO EXPOSE

It was Dark.

Your soul was hard to see.I just got the feelingyou were more than

than that shooting star.

A safety net,to hide your

weaknesses from

the light of day.

Easily deceptivein a luring stare.

Tried to steal my heart,but you werent even really there.

Cant stay hidden for long,

with the light ofthe approaching dawn.To Expose.


13/20


14/20

DOWNFALL

They lay,buried deep within these walls.

These cracks obscurethis indiscernible

presence.

Here they sleepand do not wake,

until their biddingcalls.

Their appealmight only be

your downfall.Foreshadowed

demise.

Will you look the other way,once youve given into this temptation?

An inevitable conclusion,to your end.


15/20


16/20

DARKNESS IN THESE WOODS

Theres darkness in these woods,hidden from plain sight.You can almost feel it,

if only you yearned the touch.

Is this just a dream?...Or is this juststark reality,

like a chill windagainst my face...

...Waking me,creeping into

my world.Haunting me.

Was it always hereto begin?

Or are we just blind,

because we chose not to seethe things we wish that wouldnt be.

And yet it is heredespite our wishes,

our best intent,waiting for its moment

to strike.

With wicked eyesand gnashing jaws,its leapt upon youbefore you knew it,

and sunk its teeth right into you.


17/20

THE OWLS

I tumbled in the weeds,an off-road detour,

one-way ticketwith no return.

A downer lullaby,

to sing the child asleep.The crows pecked out your eyes,but youve grown accustomed to the feeling.

Your comfort in the coldsoothes.

The ice burns awayyour uncertainty.

Here in the dark,theyll eat your flesh.

The Owls are not what they seem.


18/20

LAST HAND

I tried to fleebefore it was too late,

but theyd already caught me

in their net.

I felt myselflosing control,and falling...

into circumstance.

No point pulling out the hairs.

Youve counted your last hand,and fallen victim to thisendless spiral of demands.

Your muscles pulledas you put on the face,embracing this cover,

when you knew

the seams were to burst.

The signs pointed metowards this gloom.Wheres the cover,

that once was?


19/20

TOMB

Your vacant selfis a waste.

Breath in the airto taste the flavor.

The smell bringsthe life back in.

This stagnanceis but a tomb,

your name etchedon its stone.

Your focus on the shapelacks perspective

of the deeper truth.Shut eyes will reveal

the feeling of the touch.

Search it far and wide,the heat bears down,

yet the caucus will notsatisfy the thirst.

The deserts gifts,the Devils trick.A pools mirage.


20/20

HOME

Out here,theyre prone to bite.

Youre just aBlack Swan in the night.

Confronted by a pack of wolves,stared them in the face,

showed them I was one of them.

In here, its meant to be.This place brings the life back in.

These heavy, sighing breaths,a refreshing reminder

of the wild in me.

Unflinchingly, Ill hold my ground,through clenched teeth,

show them I can run with them.

Masquerader

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