Friday, July 19, 2013

581 : Respect


Three Word Wednesday requires participants
to use the three words of the week in a composition.
The words this week were Assign, Pretense and Traverse.

Respect

Without a doubt, it’s a fine pretense,
The face we show the world.
We all assign a pretty mask
While behind, the truth is curled.

Respect
That no-one is perfect.

Don’t ask
To cross the outer skin,
To traverse beyond their defences,
If only to reject what lies within.
.
---
© J Cosmo Newbery 2013
---
Print this post

31 comments:

  1. Marvelous composition!! So much truth and the skeletons will begin to rattle!! Well chosen words and so meaningful J Cosmo!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Who knows what lies behind the mask? One has to trust one's instincts.Best never tamper with the outer skin if one does not like surprises.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love that respect that no one is perfect.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ouch. If only my mask was as beautiful as the one portrayed here I might never come out from behind it.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I have nothing more intelligent to say than what an amazing poem. This is one of those works that really touches my soul. There is so much truth here!

    ReplyDelete
  6. So many people have perfected that mask. Sometimes I need to remind myself that as you point out, no one is perfect!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh I love a poem that has bite!
    well done, Cosmo
    xxx

    ReplyDelete
  8. A mask conjures lots of mysteries. Wonder what will be revealed if unmasked. Beautiful take Cosmo!

    Hank

    ReplyDelete
  9. We all don a mask at some time or other; sometimes more than others.

    Well written.

    ReplyDelete
  10. The first stanza is so true:)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Beautiful...understand no one is perfect is fundamental, but, people take a long time to understand this basic thing.
    Very well written.

    ReplyDelete
  12. i like the "respect that no one is perfect"..how much we lose with putting up masks.

    ReplyDelete
  13. So very true, J Cosmo. Some people are just like that. They come in the guise of a friend, weasel in beneath the surface, and then stick pins in a person from within!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Your respect makes great sense, and is beautifully expressed. WHy badger for a vulnerability and then reject it? Why badger at all?

    ReplyDelete
  15. I just noted that Mary and I used badgers and weasels to express negative action. No harm meant! I've got to watch this language every minute not to apply stereotypes and assumptions. Language is a great trickster and troublemaker.

    ReplyDelete
  16. The beauty is that we don't need to be alike to respect each other. I'd argue it is our differences where we learn what true respect is.

    ReplyDelete
  17. true...none are perfect...ourselves included, which should lead us to grace for others, but far too many get caught up in themselves and care little about the others and truly understanding them...

    ReplyDelete
  18. Yes, it's always interesting when people drop their masks. You have to get to the trust point to allow it to slip. Loved this, J Cosmo.

    ReplyDelete
  19. This is the perfect theme for the three words, and they fit seamlessly into your perfectly rhymed Herrick's stanza.

    ReplyDelete
  20. AnonymousJuly 22, 2013

    Powerful words and beautifully expressed. Being yourself is the only way to ever experience true love

    ReplyDelete
  21. Really lovely write--I loved what you did with the words assigned

    ReplyDelete
  22. Fantastic message in this poem, especially its closing message. Great nugget of wisdom, kiddo!

    ReplyDelete
  23. No matter the outer skin or the mask worn respect sets the tone for what may come. Nice Write!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Feeling philisophical today? being judgmental is so easy, it's rare to find those who will let you lower that mask--an excellent write as always:-)

    ReplyDelete
  25. Oh yes, I love to pretend and lie !!!
    Sometimes the truth is ugly, unpleasant, or nonproductive.
    ..

    ReplyDelete
  26. This brings to mind Roger Green's wonderful, thought-provoking post (read it here: http://www.rogerogreen.com/2013/07/21/beauty-skin-deep/ ) about the "mask" of the Boston Marathon suspect. And all of us have masks we show the world. Then we get home and look in the mirror and really see.

    Cos, once again, extraordinary poetry. Amy

    ReplyDelete
  27. Goodness this is so true...

    ReplyDelete
  28. Wow, fabulous response to the three-word prompt. It flows as if you'd thought of the words yourself. And the mask photo is perfect.
    K

    ReplyDelete
  29. We do all don our masks - often different masks in different situations. It is true that we may not like what we see (in others) if we delve too deep and likewise, them of us.
    Anna :o]

    ReplyDelete
  30. Very profound! we all carry masks

    ReplyDelete

You've come this far - thank you.
Take your time, look around,
There is lots to see.