I wear a cloak of laughter Lest anyone should see My dress of sorrow underneath And stop to pity me. I wear a cloak of laughter Lest anyone should guess That what is hid beneath it Is less than happiness. . . . But, ah, what does it matter To you who are so wise? My cloak falls tattered at my feet Before your tender eyes. For cloaks to cover sorrow Are meant for stranger folk; One cannot hide away from friends Beneath a laughing cloak. Oh, futile cloak of laughter, How frail you are and thin! Love looks through you so easily And sees the grief within. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...DEJECTION by ROBERT SEYMOUR BRIDGES MY YOUTH by WILLIAM HENRY DAVIES CLOTHES DO BUT CHEAT AND COZEN US by ROBERT HERRICK WHAT SHALL IT PROFIT? by WILLIAM DEAN HOWELLS SUMMER'S LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT: AUTUMN by THOMAS NASHE VERS LIBRE by FRANKLIN PIERCE ADAMS |