Hidden In Plain Sight

Hidden trinkets, hidden cards,
Hidden thoughts are much like poems of bards,
Hidden motives, hidden glances,
Hidden by a ritual of dances,
Hidden offspring, hidden away,
Hidden inside of a closet to stay
Hidden passage, hidden meaning,
Hidden behind a myth, a child's dreaming,
Hidden knowledge, hidden phantoms,
Hidden behind the sound of past drums,
Hidden black rites, hidden purpose,
Hidden for the sake of the murderous,
Hidden body, hidden person,
Hidden from sight because of a curse won,
Hidden music, hidden treason,
Hidden because of a message we shun.

Hidden is the world around us,
Hidden in a lack of giving, of trust,
Hidden behind masks of knowledge,
Hidden until we find the old sage in dust.

Yet behind all these things hidden,
Lies a truth that some despise, bedridden
Because of the anger they hide,
Behind that mask held up is foolish pride.
Hidden is the love they once had,
Hidden behind their hate, and it is sad;
For behind the smile is anger,
Behind that anger is a force most sure,
Behind that force ravenous hate,
Behind that, in bars, deemed as second rate,
Is the love that once reigned inside,
That with the glory of light was allied.
And the keeper of fair love's jail,
Is the betrayer, that loathsome snail,
Named disbelieve, and doubting toad,
Who makes all things twice, nay, thrice their right load,
So that the mask that hides each mask,
Becomes harder to lift, arduous task.

Thus when I see you looking through,
Those slits, those holes, a false friend you,
Unjust to me, who wear no mask,
May I see you're face? This is what I ask.
Unravel the mask, the fair cloth,
You do wear around your face, this rag, moth!
Turn your painted smile upside down.
For you do yourself wrong, this pretend gown,
This simmering fancy looks ill,
Are but cards in a game you play at still.
I am not playing games of cards,
I am not speaking in the words from bards,
I speak my peace upon your sight,
And desire to reveal to you light!
Allow your anger to flow forth,
I'll guide your fair way and point you due north,
Let go of the mask that shrouds hate,
Let go of vengeance, this bitter made spate,
See, my love desires your soul,
I desire to remove scars, make you whole,
Do not dance the night with old doubt,
For his words cut deep, his poisonous route,
See, the bars are an illusion,
From a conjurer, a spider, web spun,
They do easily fray when touched,
Do not fear his words, they have all been hushed,

Yet you doubt my love for you still,
And you doubt that you may climb out the hill,
May climb up the steps of prison,
From this prison you fear you cannot run,
But listen instead to the cord,
That cord of music that's welling up, Lord,
Lord of all things who spreads inside,
Healing your hurts, and all your pride,
The final mask has been removed,
And your past is now gone, it has been soothed,
Take then my hand, we'll go forth now,
And before the King of Kings we will bow.

Leave behind in this prison, dark,
The doubter, the snail, the toad, this false lark,
For he will live the way he knows,
For he never stays long, but comes and goes,
Amongst the jail's he makes his rounds,
In villages, towns, in cities he hounds,
The blood of life escapes his reach,
Less like a blood hound, and more like a leech,
When he returns he will give praise,
Like a king he will adorn you, to raze,
To raze your virtues, your statues,
To lead you willingly back to the roots,
There he'll imprison you again,
Don't listen to him, this dried up marsh fen,
Come now with me, I have said well,
I have spoken so to keep you from hell,
Come now to the one who sent me,
Come now, to the unending mystery.

Seen by one, seen by all,
Seen as one to whom we all call,
Seen by many, seen by few,
Seen as the one eternal brew,
Seen afar, seen up close,
Seen as beauty, the other as gross,
Seen in time, seen outside,
Seen as one with nothing to hide,
Seen at night, seen by day,
Seen as the one, the certain way,
Seen as right, seen as just,
Seen as the truth we all may trust,
Seen within, seen without,
Seen by the enemy in full rout,
Seen today, seen tomorrow,
Seen even through the eyes of sorrow,
Seen as love, seen as hope,
Seen through every mask, every rope.

For all the things that are hidden,
There's a way to find them again,
They come to the King when bidden,
And in response they say, Amen.

                  Hidden In Plain Sight, (c) Luke Bennette, June 2012