We all wear ‘The Mask’

Two halves of a life with differing outcomes, a life that has been locked away from the outside world with a façade, a mask, covering the true nature of the pain that comes from within. 

After leaving school, in my late teenage years, I was subjected to bullying in the workplace and it makes you think, years later, why – Why the name-calling? Why the bullying?  Why resort to something like that? 

Prior to all this, the pandemic, lockdown, all that, I was sat thinking about things, things that have happened in the past and not just in the here and now, but when I was younger and it shows that, no matter what, nobody ever really knows you, the real you. 

Now, at work, when I’m out driving and I’m alone with my thoughts in my head, I look back to starting out working in my teen years and how I was treated back then and think that, surely there’s better ways in which to treat people. 

I’ll be the first to admit though, I’m not the most eloquent of people I just thought about the best way in which I could express myself. 

When I showed it to a few mates, a few said that they’ve had ‘the mask’ on for years, it only being removed, or taken down, when certain people leave their lives. 

The Mask (by Phillip T. Harmer)

Alone with thoughts the mask slips, fades, falls,

Time goes slow the tick tock drowns out the noise,

But then friends, family, work colleagues are there and the mask is back,

Happy, cheerful, jokes the smile…… it’s fake

But to them it’s real, no questions asked,

Each day the same the silent scream, the tears alone, the thoughts.

My mask fits my face for all to miss

It was a moment of inspiration really and, although I wrote it in early March this year, I’ve sat on it ever since, only releasing it because I’ve got a few friends, other than myself, that resonate with what I’ve wrote. 

That didn’t really take long to write, it just came out, but it can relate to any person, in any situation.  

I hope these things don’t happen to my kids when they go to school, or as teens, young adults, and I hope they know that they come to both me, and their mum.

Be Kind

Phillip T. Harmer

If you would like to contact Fine and Dandi in regard to Phillip’s journey, would like to get involved with Fine and Dandi or would like to share your own journey then please contact us.