Monday, July 18, 2011

alias


Cameroon mask, Willow Manor



You think truth
is so prosaic

swaggering
many faces
more poetic

in a roster
of second names
skillfully written

but the thrill
is only self-hate
spread thin

sure to crack
as fate wins

in a slick game
of greasy pole
roulette 



Tess Kincaid
July 2011



Written for Magpie Tales creative writing group.

57 comments:

  1. "Only self hate spread thin...." So much truth in that disguise!

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  2. That is one scary uh, thing. Your write fits the image quite well.

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  3. Thingy, I collect African masks. This one is actually hanging on my wall. giggle.

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  4. 'sure to crack
    as fate wins'

    I like those words...! Cool poem... :)

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  5. that is a wicked mask willow...the self hate spread thin line is the one that caught me as well...

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  6. A stern warning to those who misrepresent themselves. Signed, aka..

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  7. Very nicely done, Tess. Very.

    —Kay, Alberta, Canada

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  8. greasy pole roulette...
    i love that trio

    image and writing go together very well
    and makes me wonder
    what lies beneath?

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  9. Fate always wins, so self-hate be damned!

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  10. "...self hate spread thin." What a wonderful phrase, Tess.

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  11. Tess I adore African masks, so very interesting. Great poetry as always.

    xoxo
    Karena

    Art by Karena

    Come and join my Giveaway of a very special painting!

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  12. self-hate spread thin is so powerful!

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  13. I adore the mask...and the write, well it is brilliant :)

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  14. Love the line... only self hate spread thin... powerful words.

    Interesting that truth seemed to spur in the thoughts.

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  15. Well said! And I envy you for your mask too! He/She must be a fertility deity who enriches your soul, well at least I hope so! Hehehe

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  16. This is great. I love the perspective this is coming from.

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  17. Cast the first two lines in printers' lead, parcel them up, and send them to :
    Mr Rupert Murdoch
    News Corporation.

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  18. Love where you go with this especially the last stanza

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  19. Who you really are eventually shows through "the mask".
    Hmm....themask would be a good blog title.

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  20. Jumping on the bandwagon here, I so agree that the phrase "self hate spread thin" is a masterpiece.

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  21. I really like this... especially:

    but the thrill is only self-hate spread thin
    sure to crack as fate wins

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  22. Dear Tess: It is all about the lie (the mask)that presents falsehood and not truth. Reminds me of that which lies within or(What Lies Beneath) (oh I loved that film). Love the lines;

    but the thrill
    is only self-hate
    spread thin

    Lots to ponder here in this analytical and thought-provoking poem. BTW is this a NW African mask? Intriguing!

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  23. I love Alan Burnett's take on this. How appropriate for this time in world events!

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  24. Bravo! How this little mask is stirring up the soul!

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  25. Wow Tess, what a mask! Lot of slick games going on out there these days and all slippery slopes, no firm ground. Good work.

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  26. As always...thought provoking.

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  27. Truthful, and skilfully done. Tess, that one had the flat rich crack of a ball hit right out of the park.

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  28. So much packed into this..truth and ego..wow..excellent!

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  29. wonderful poem. one of those i read three or four times. the mask is chilling.

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  30. Yes, fate always wins in 'slippery pole roulette' but it is the only game in town!

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  31. your timing on this one is exquisite, Tess. O Mask! O Disguise! xxxj

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  32. This is why Life at Willow Manor is my Blog of the Century ... everybody should have an African mask nailed to their wall ... we really fucked up that contintent ...

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  33. The mask on your post looks more menacing than on the other posts! All that transference ~ your words pack quite a wallop.

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  34. Another rich and textured piece
    that requires several reads and
    then an educated guess as to
    the intent. Love the line:
    /in a roster of second names
    skillfully written/.
    Who are we?
    What face do we show our
    employers, our teachers,
    our parents, our spouses,
    our friends; all slightly different
    tangents of the same personality.
    But in the morning mirror, in shop
    windows, there it is, the real you;
    perhaps shielded from everyone.

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  35. Love the mask, the "self-hate spread thin" and that amazing final stanza. Greasy pole roulette--one to chew over!

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  36. fate is the master as with futile grasp, down we slide... nice write Tess..

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  37. Tess,
    We all wear masks don't we?
    Even my 20 month old grand daughter puts on a different personna for me compared to her parents.
    Perhaps it's cameleon behavior on our part; for survival. Whatever, it's learned at an early age.
    rel

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  38. I do not know "greasy pole roulette." But I know fate always wins! No matter the game.

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  39. Greasy pole roulette, eh? Sounds a bit kinky to me... but then I always had a dirty mind! 8-)

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  40. What a fab opening line! Prosaic truth...love that.

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  41. Self hate can be a banty rooster can't it?

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  42. As Alan commented, there are elements of this that are so pertinent over here at the moment.

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  43. You caught me this time. This piece definitely spoke to me. I'm like that most of the time.

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  44. As the mask cracks... Excellent write!

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  45. Chicco, this mask is from Cameroon. I just added the caption under the image. Thanks for asking!

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  46. Very good Tess!
    The last line is classic...

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  47. The elusive truth. I'm reading this like a fortune cookie reading.

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  48. Beautiful. Every word seems to be handpicked and purposeful. Took me a couple of reads to get the full import of your words.

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  49. Beautifully done...love the line "the thrill is only self-hate spread thin"

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  50. Truth is a game and a gamble apparently. But truth in its purest form makes for lifelong relationships.

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  51. Well, how'd I miss this one? Wonderful, Tess! My older sister and brother-in-law met in Zaire in the Peace Corps, years ago, and they also have some amazing African masks hanging on walls, along with other things from Africa. Love yours!

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  52. "greasy pole roulette" is a wonderful image,

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  53. Wow. You made some images I really like.

    "roster of second names"
    and
    "greasy pole roulette"

    Very nice.

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  54. sure to crack
    as fate wins

    All masks crack eventually...

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Inject a few raisins of conversation into the tasteless dough of existence.
― O. Henry (and me)