Well, here I am posting late to a challenge that really isn’t a challenge. This month’s W.E.P. challenge is very laid back. Post if you want anytime you want. No prizes, just fun, and fellowship, and the joy of stories. To say it’s been a rough year seems unnecessary and yet it’s the reason my entries have been very different. Still, I’m happy for the chance to share. I look forward to seeing everyone for a fresh start in 2021.
It’s Been So Long
It’s been so long, so long since I’ve worn this mask.
It’s been so long since I’ve heard my own truth- it was simply too taboo.
I’ve worn this mask to survive and to get by, but now…
They say it’s important for me to unmask.
They say it’s important to talk about the brutality and rape that shaped my lineage.
They say it’s important to talk about the miles of struggles and years of pain still seeking equality.
It’s been so long, so long since I’ve worn this mask.
It’s been so long since I’ve seen my own truth- it simply wasn’t safe.
I’ve worn this mask to survive and to get by, but now…
They say it’s safe for me to unmask.
They say it’s safe for me to speak languages that now feel foreign on my own tongue.
They say it’s safe for me to tell stories from the Mother country and remember gods I don’t even worship anymore.
It’s been so long, so long since I’ve worn this mask.
It’s been so long since I’ve seen my own truth- it simply wasn’t acceptable.
I’ve worn this mask to survive and to get by, but now…
They say it’s okay for me to unmask.
They say it’s okay to take off the wig of straight hair and let my thick locs breathe.
They say it’s okay for me to wear bright colors and short skirts despite how dark my skin is and curvy my hips are.
It’s been so long, so long since I’ve worn this mask.
It’s been so long since I’ve seen my own truth- it simply wasn’t desirable.
I’ve worn this mask to survive and to get by, but now…
They say it’s good for me to unmask.
They say it’s good for me to smile and inhale no matter how big my lips are or how much my nostrils flare.
They say it’s good for me to sing soulfully even if they can’t relate to what I’m saying.
It hasn’t been that long, that long since I didn’t have to change or hide everything about myself just to get by.
It hasn’t been that long- my mask feels safe and I’m afraid to be me.
Perhaps the mask is still serving its purpose.
380 words- NCCO- It’s Been So Long 2020 Copyright © Toinette J. Thomas
If you want to see other stories for the December prompt, be sure to click the image above to check out the comments of the W.E.P. December 1st post throughout the month.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords #blacklivesmatter
23 replies on “It’s Been So Long #WEPFF Challenge featuring Unmasked #amwriting #flashfiction”
Beautiful, Toi!
Thanks for participating in our unstructured challenge.
Masks can become too comfortable, but I hope we all find the courage to unmask and just be!
Have a lovely Holiday, and the most blessed of New Year’s!
Thank you, Yolanda. I hope you have a lovely holiday and very blessed New Year!
Beautiful words – and a heartbreaking theme. Our societies have so many broken bits all based in hatred based in fear based in ‘other’. We need to keep working to fix ourselves & each other & our relationships so that everyone can unmask and breathe.
Wishing you all of the very best for 2021!
Thank you, Jemi. I think we’re getting closer, a bit slowly, but closer to a world of umasked, accepted, and valued peoples. I wish you all the best for 2021.
Sometimes, the masks we wear become so ingrained, they really become us. The tricky fact is: I’m not sure if this is right or wrong. Maybe both. Maybe it depends on the situation or the person. Sometimes our masks are better than we are: kinder, braver. Maybe we should keep such a mask on for life. And sometimes a mask is a camouflage, a way to blend in, to survive – not a bad thing either.
Your poem inspire lots of questions, Toi, and everyone will have to answer those questions for themselves.
A great post on the theme!
Thank you so much, Olga, for your alternative perspectives on this piece. I think it’s great that this raises different questions for each person to answer for themselves.
This is an incredibly powerful piece. Masks in the age of 2020 are used for protection from disease, but you’ve also reminded us with this poem that masks are also used disguise identity, or in your case, to protect your identity. The idea of taking of your mask and showing your true self can be terrifying. You are beautiful and courageous beneath the mask. Keeping writing and speaking the truth.
Thank you so much, Tricia. A mask of protection and a disguise can be one in the same- both helpful and hurful, both liberating and oppressive. Masks should be temporary but some linger for generations. It’s one thing to wear a mask to protect yourself and others from a common enemy, say like a virus, it’s another thing to wear a mask because you are unjustly considered to be the enemny and need a disguise to survive. So many levels and layers to consider. Thank you for your continued encouragement and inspiration.
Powerful, beautiful and sadly true.
Heartbreakingly true for so many of us.
I really don’t know how the woman beneath my mask(s) is – or what she looks like.
I am hoping (fervently) for a much better year to come. For you, for us, for me, for the world.
Thank you, Elephant’s Child. I think this poem is very personal in a way that allows it to be relatable to many. Not everyone’s mask looks or feels just like mine, but I think many can relate to having to hide away part of their true self, for many different reasons, in order to better navigate the world and survive. My hope is your hope. A better year to come “For you, for us, for me, for the world.”
So powerful and poignant!
‘Tear off the mask. Your face is glorious.’ ~ Rumi
Thank you for all your insightful, beautiful, thought provoking and heart stopping poems and flashes all through this year.
All the very best for this last month and for a much better, more tranquil and healthful 2021.
Thank you, Nila. Your insightful posts have been inspiring all year. I wish you all the best in 2021.
Hi Toi!
Always a delight to visit your blog. Thanks for posting to the unstructured December challenge. I’m glad we didn’t miss this one. ‘They say…’ is what resonated with me. Hmmm. Who’re ‘they’ and why do they get to say anything? Let’s hope she has the confidence to march to the beat of her own drum.
Mine is up here if you’re so inclined to visit:
https://dencovey.blogspot.com/2020/12/wep-december-challenge-pierrot-fool.html
So glad you picked up on my use of “they”. I toyed with putting it in quotes or italicizing it but decided against it. Too often the collective “they” doesn’t appreciate the individual or other “theys” out there.
I just read and really enjoyed your story. Sometimes adventure is overrated.
Hi Toi – wonderful … so much meaning in the words and the way you present them …there’s so much hurt caused in the world … and it is so unfair. Great entry – thank … it is making me think … stay safe and all the best – Hilary
Thank you, Hilary. I too have been thinking in ways I haven’t before about things I haven’t before. There is so much I need to learn, know, and be made aware of. I’m not the only one struggling right now (nor or only black people), but it’s comforting to have a place like WEP to express myself- to do my part in sharing knowledge and raising awareness.
Beautiful and moving. Can a mask be a shield, too?
It certainly can, Rebecca. Thanks for reading.
Another powerful post for the prompt. Wearing masks–whether literal or figurative–seems to be part of the human condition. And I agree with Olga that they can become part of us, for better or worse.
Yes, I agree. Masks, whether good or bad, are part of the human condition. Thank you for reading.
This poem is beautiful and thoughtful. I always look forward to reading your work. Thank you for sharing this with us!
Thank you for reading it. So glad you guys decided to do something casual this month.
Lovely and soulful.