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.
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57 comments:

  1. FireLightSun Jul 17, 10:05:00 PM

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

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  2. MaggieSun Jul 17, 10:40:00 PM

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

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  3. Tess KincaidSun Jul 17, 10:41:00 PM

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

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  4. NeniSun Jul 17, 10:51:00 PM

    'sure to crack
    as fate wins'

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

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  5. Brian MillerSun Jul 17, 10:53:00 PM

    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. Life@CeeSun Jul 17, 10:53:00 PM

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

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  7. Kay L. DaviesSun Jul 17, 10:57:00 PM

    Very nicely done, Tess. Very.

    —Kay, Alberta, Canada

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  8. UnknownSun Jul 17, 10:58:00 PM

    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. R. Burnett BakerSun Jul 17, 11:13:00 PM

    Fate always wins, so self-hate be damned!

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  10. Sioux RoslawskiSun Jul 17, 11:18:00 PM

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

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  11. KarenaSun Jul 17, 11:33:00 PM

    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. Law_FalSun Jul 17, 11:41:00 PM

    self-hate spread thin is so powerful!

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  13. AnonymousSun Jul 17, 11:50:00 PM

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

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  14. ReflectionsMon Jul 18, 12:28:00 AM

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

    Interesting that truth seemed to spur in the thoughts.

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  15. ArtPropelledMon Jul 18, 12:44:00 AM

    Willow, you write so well!

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  16. JefferyMon Jul 18, 03:44:00 AM

    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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  17. Anthony DuceMon Jul 18, 04:54:00 AM

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

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  18. Alan BurnettMon Jul 18, 06:56:00 AM

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

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  19. Chronicles of IllusionsMon Jul 18, 07:08:00 AM

    Love where you go with this especially the last stanza

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  20. AnonymousMon Jul 18, 07:30:00 AM

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

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  21. UnknownMon Jul 18, 07:40:00 AM

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

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  22. Laurie KolpMon Jul 18, 08:16:00 AM

    I really like this... especially:

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

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  23. chiccorealMon Jul 18, 09:04:00 AM

    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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  24. Leslie Jane MoranMon Jul 18, 09:30:00 AM

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

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  25. HelenaMon Jul 18, 11:50:00 AM

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

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  26. Ann GrenierMon Jul 18, 12:22:00 PM

    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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  27. Donna B.Mon Jul 18, 01:34:00 PM

    As always...thought provoking.

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  28. Peter GreeneMon Jul 18, 01:38:00 PM

    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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  29. LynMon Jul 18, 02:26:00 PM

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

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  30. sukipoetMon Jul 18, 03:34:00 PM

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

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  31. Stafford RayMon Jul 18, 05:23:00 PM

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

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  32. Jenne' R. Andrews Mon Jul 18, 05:23:00 PM

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

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  33. AnonymousMon Jul 18, 07:26:00 PM

    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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  34. HelenMon Jul 18, 07:40:00 PM

    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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  35. Glenn ButtkusMon Jul 18, 08:28:00 PM

    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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  36. Maude LynnMon Jul 18, 11:35:00 PM

    Very cool!

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  37. dsTue Jul 19, 01:32:00 AM

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

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  38. rob kistnerTue Jul 19, 02:31:00 AM

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

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  39. relTue Jul 19, 04:37:00 AM

    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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  40. annell4Tue Jul 19, 09:02:00 AM

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

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  41. MarchelineTue Jul 19, 09:56:00 AM

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

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  42. Other MaryTue Jul 19, 12:06:00 PM

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

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  43. The BugTue Jul 19, 12:34:00 PM

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

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  44. MartinTue Jul 19, 01:42:00 PM

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

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  45. Arian TejanoTue Jul 19, 02:26:00 PM

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

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  46. Tumblewords:Tue Jul 19, 02:57:00 PM

    As the mask cracks... Excellent write!

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  47. Tess KincaidTue Jul 19, 07:30:00 PM

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

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  48. Pat TillettTue Jul 19, 09:03:00 PM

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

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  49. colleenTue Jul 19, 09:48:00 PM

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

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  50. T F CarthickTue Jul 19, 10:19:00 PM

    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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  51. AnonymousWed Jul 20, 06:52:00 AM

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

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  52. kaykualaWed Jul 20, 05:35:00 PM

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

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  53. A Brush with ColorWed Jul 20, 11:20:00 PM

    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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  54. Lucy WestenraThu Jul 21, 12:12:00 AM

    "greasy pole roulette" is a wonderful image,

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  55. M. A. S.Thu Jul 21, 02:42:00 AM

    Wow. You made some images I really like.

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

    Very nice.

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  56. TrellissimoThu Jul 21, 06:39:00 AM

    sure to crack
    as fate wins

    All masks crack eventually...

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  57. The Blog of BeeSun Jul 24, 01:34:00 AM

    Sure to crack
    As fate wins

    Always

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

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