Our acquaintance, Everyman, is readying for the day
The accoutrements spread out on the rack
A bowler hat for sun or breeze
His trusty umbrella to fend off showers
And a choice of faces for his round of activities
On the left, a scowling, angry self
Eyebrows arched, mouth turned downward
A face to instill fear in his underlings
Or express disgust at the politicians’ vagaries
To the right, a face more benign
Lips curling upward into a smile
An expression more kindly, more inclusive
But also a face that constrains its wearer to niceties
Everyman vacillates back and forth
The faces, of course, are not his alone
They reside on the rack
Standardized, stereotypic, available to all
On loan from society for one’s temporary use
Like the red bikes behind the grocery store
We can borrow whatever faces we prefer
But care must be taken
Faces we wear determine who we are in the world
The power and the pitfall of the mask
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