The Mask

by The Cowl Editor on October 2, 2020


Poetry


Two people attempting to share a milkshake while wearing surgical masks
Photo courtesy of pexels.com

by Sarah Heavren ’21

The mask cannot hide my fear.
Nor make emotions disappear.
Its function is critical.
Its protection is physical.    

Its weight can feel like concrete.
It muffles my voice when I speak.
It means so very much more
Than a mandate to go outdoors.

The problem is not the mask.
Wearing it is a simple task.
It is for the greater good,
But it evokes a somber mood. 

Days of loss and days of change
Make the familiar too strange.
The mask makes mouths disappear,
But the mask cannot hide my tears.