Once upon a time donning a mask meant -
You were off to a grand ball in Venice
Adorned in finery, dancing to lyres and lutes.
Or you were flying high in a bi-plane free among the clouds
Or propelled further upwards for one giant step.
It could mean diving deep into wet worlds
Of undulating fronds and darting fishes among the pearls and corals.
Or mean just riding your bike in Beijing, or your scooter in Bangkok.
Or perhaps you were masked as a surgeon saving a life,
A dentist saving a tooth
Or the fumigators saving your woodwork.
But now to wear a mask means you are treading
Into the domain of dire controversy.
-Oh, it does not help-
-Oh yes it does-
-It will not prevent the virus-
-It may-
-You will save lives-
You won’t even save your own life-
-You are submitting to evil control-
-You are following like so many woolly animals-
-You are re-breathing enough CO2 to kill you-
-It’s the law-
-So what? -
-Oh, just wear the dang mask! –
-=@#$%^&&*!-
And so, the poor mask has lost all its mystique.
Thank you for this amusing piece, Esme - perhaps use the title to greater effect? Also, do you intend to be ambiguous? It's amazing how many people believe that wearing a mask is the cause of illness and does not save lives. So although your poem is tongue-in-cheek, it could be misinterpreted ...? Your thoughts?