Poetry

Masque

‘Masque’ is a song from ‘Song Bird’ by Christine M Knight, available from Amazon.  You can hear the full song at CD Baby.

In the novel, this song is co-written by international singing sensation, Nikki Mills, and rock legend, Rick Brody. The word masque refers to the elaborate decorative masks worn at costume balls where ritual and role were entrenched in past centuries in Italy. The word is relevant to the manufactured images of performers in the music industry and the challenges some performers face in being real in relationships.

 Should you wish to contribute to Christine M Knight’s music production fund, you can do so by buying one or more of her songs through CD Baby, iTunes, or Amazon, Microsoft Store  etc. 

For American readers, as an Australian, I use the British spelling and grammar system.  

VERSE 1- MAN

I’ve lived life
As a masquerade
Defined by
Roles
I have played.
I’ve been a
Shape shifter
The person
Others
Expected me
To be.
Disguised and
Drifting,
I lost
Sight
Of my identity.

VERSE 2 – WOMAN

Take off the mask.
Farewell the double face.
You don’t have to pretend
With me.
I know the fear of
Being real.
When you are true
To yourself
You can be
True to me.
I know the fear of
Being real.
When you are true
To yourself
You can be
True to me.

CHORUS – DUET

Strip it off.
Let it fall away.
Turn desire into
Heat and fire.
Strip it off.
Let it fall away.
Touch a1nd taste
Intimacy.
Get down and
Be real with me.
Strip it off.
Let it fall away.
Turn desire into
Heat and fire.
Get down and
Be real with me.

BRIDGE

Barefoot, naked,
Disguises shed,
In our natural states,
We can live
Without the masks
That bar love
You can be true
To yourself and me.

WOMAN:

Take off the mask.
Farewell the double face.
You don’t have to pretend
With me.
I know the fear of
Being real.
When you are true
To yourself
You can be
True to me.
I know the fear of
Being real.
When you are true
To yourself
You can be
True to me.

CHORUS – DUET

Strip it off.
Let it fall away.
Turn desire into
Heat and fire.
Strip it off.
Let it fall away.
Touch and taste
Intimacy.
Get down and
Be real with me
Strip it off.
Let it fall away.
Turn desire into
Heat and fire.
Get down and
Be real with me.

Get down and
Be real with me.
Get down and
Be real with me.(repeated expressively a number of times with sax ad lib)

© Christine M Knight

The cover art below is the one I ultimately did not use although I did like the comment the visual made about the difficulty in removing a mask. 

Should you wish to contribute Christine M Knight’s music production fund, you can do so by buying one or more of her songs through CD Baby, iTunes, or Amazon, Microsoft Store  etc.