We Hide the Flask

Summary

The website content presents a poetry parody titled "We Hide the Flask," inspired by Paul Laurence Dunbar's "We Wear the Mask," juxtaposing themes of concealment and self-deception with a focus on alcohol dependency.

Abstract

"We Hide the Flask" is a modern parody found in a cubby once belonging to the renowned poet Paul Laurence Dunbar, now a habitat for burrowing owls. The poem humorously reflects on the concealment of alcohol, a substance that both soothes and harms, leading to a life of debt paid with health and balance. The author, Marilyn Flower, draws a parallel between the hidden flask and the metaphorical mask in Dunbar's original work, highlighting the shared themes of societal facades and internal struggles. The piece is accompanied by a poignant note revealing Dunbar's own tragic struggle with alcoholism, which exacerbated his early demise from tuberculosis. The parody serves as a commentary on the human condition, where humor masks deeper issues, and the act of hiding becomes a shared human experience.

Opinions

The author suggests that society's tendency to hide vices, such as alcohol dependency, is a form of self-deception that can have detrimental effects on health and well-being.
Marilyn Flower expresses a reverent yet somber tone when discussing Paul Laurence Dunbar's life and work, noting the irony in the parody's subject matter in light of Dunbar's personal struggles.
The poem implies that the facade of normalcy, represented by the hidden flask, is a fragile construct, as evidenced by the clumsy and inauthentic behaviors it engenders.
The author seems to critique the societal expectation of maintaining a cheerful exterior despite personal turmoil, as reflected in the original poem's themes of concealed suffering.
By drawing attention to Dunbar's early death and the advice of his doctors to use whiskey, the author subtly criticizes the medical recommendations of the time and their contribution to Dunbar's alcohol dependence.

Found in a secret cubby once belonging to Paul Laurence Dunbar, now inhabited by burrowing owls.

Owl guardians of the stash…they wouldn’t dare look in here, would they? Photo by Thijs Schouten on Unsplash

We hide the flask that soothes and revives, Reddens our noses and shortens our lives, — This debt we pay with our liver bile; With weak and congested hearts we smile, Hungover in befuddlement.

God forbid we be over-wise, And own several flasks of varying size. Nay, let them not take us to task Just because we hide the flask.

We smile, as we unscrew the cap Not realizing this charade is crap. We sing, but the notes fall flat We lose our balance and land ker-plat: While we pretend there’s nothing wrong As long as we hide the flask!

Note to readers: This is a parody of Paul Laurence Dunbar’s famous poem, We Wear the Mask, which you can read below. As I sat with this poem, the first image that percolated up was a flask, and the ideas flowed from there.

In my previous poetry parodies, I often added a postscript written in the imagined persona of the poet. I had intended to do that here, too after finding some detail to hang it on. What I found out was that Mr. Dunbar lived an amazing but very, very short life.

He grew up in Dayton, Ohio, the son of formerly enslaved parents. He went to high school and became lifelong friends with Orville and Wilbur Wright. At the age of 6 he became a poet, and with the help of financial benefactors was published and widely read.

Novels, plays, and musical lyrics came next. He moved to Washington D.C. and got to know Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington. He was an advocate for civil rights on the page and in person. He died all too soon, at age 33 from tuberculosis.

After his doctors recommended whiskey to alleviate his symptoms, he became dependent on alcohol, which did not help his health.

Suddenly, my poem does not feel so funny, but then poems about denial and drinking usually aren’t. Clever maybe — in the game of noticing what’s kept and what’s changed from the original. Here it is so you can see for yourself:

WE WEAR THE MASK by Paul Laurence Dunbar

We wear the mask that grins and lies, It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes, — This debt we pay to human guile; With torn and bleeding hearts we smile, And mouth with myriad subtleties.

Why should the world be over-wise, In counting all our tears and sighs? Nay, let them only see us, while We wear the mask.

We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries To thee from tortured souls arise. We sing, but oh the clay is vile Beneath our feet, and long the mile; But let the world dream otherwise, We wear the mask!

Marilyn Flower writes political humor and satire to delight socially and spiritually conscious folks. She’s a regular columnist for the prison newsletter, Freedom Anywhere, where she writes about faith and prayer. Five of her short plays have been produced in San Francisco. Clowning and improvisation strengthen her resolve during these crazy times. Stay in touch!

Poetry Parody

We Hide the Flask

Found in a secret cubby once belonging to Paul Laurence Dunbar, now inhabited by burrowing owls.