we all wear masks
some as disguises
some as protection
some are heroes
some are phantoms
secret identities
aren’t deception
they’re costumes
to try on and take off
expressing complexity
through diversity
facets of our identity
on display like flags
marking territory
just conquered
war for wholeness
where fittest survive
dead become shadows
because seriousness
is egregious escalation
of something that should
simply have been fun