donning the mask of bravado – v5

Five pensive souls, separated,
quietly sitting in the waiting room
long minutes clicking on
no clock in sight;
The door swinging open
as if the curtain were
ripped from the stage

I can picture him before he entered in,
based on his grand entrance,
anxious, outside, by the door
as an actor in the wings
practicing new lines to himself,
puffing himself up,
putting on his mask

The stillness in the waiting room, quiet,
shattered by his bluster, bravado
but it was far too evident
the lighting wrong for his makeup
garish in full daylight
a mask hiding his pain
his fear of tomorrow

“Where’s the coffee and donuts?”,
he shouted aloud to the audience
going to the waiting line
hiding his trembling spirit
the surgery to come
slumping in the hard chair
waiting for the nurse

Donning the mask of bravado
projecting a sense of confidence,
but his body betraying him physically
as he entered in;
that the whole act was a lie
afraid, but unable to run,
the fear welling up inside


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Edited August 17, 2012
August 14, 2012


All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 19,720+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.