of
the external
the external
is carried within
as burlesque
comedy turns
in a theatre
of dreams
of the past
which is present
in sketches
and shows
with striptease
and guffaws
with starred doors
and mocked woes
)secrets in mirrors(
and all of us
players
in the burlesques
of others
of others
*
players
ReplyDeletein the burlesques
of others
good point.
If only we could see ourselves as others see us.
Maybe burlesque is an understatement, maybe life is more like a Grimm brothers pantomime.
ReplyDeleteTo others I am burlesque, a pantomime. I am aware that I am frequently misunderstood. I am not sure that I want to see myself as others see me, such are their mistakes.
ReplyDeleteRachel, I believe it was poet Robt. Burns who coined the phrase about 'seeing oursel's as others see us' in one of his odes. I think it would be almost unbearable to have to do so. It's like when you hear your own voice for the first time on a tape recorder and get an unpleasant shock, only I imagine it'd be 100 times worse.
ReplyDeleteThis is a bit like the friend of mine who was undergoing therapy and told to make a video of herself talking about herself. Far from believing what she saw when she played it back she went into denial and convinced herself it was all a lie and she wasn't like that at all. (Strangely I was talking about this to a friend at lunch yesterday before I read your post),
ReplyDeleteAs with your friend in therapy I think it's like that on skype - hence I avoid it like the plague.
ReplyDelete