Nothing fits like honesty.

It never goes out of style

Never changes like the seasons

It can be relied upon all the while

It stands up alike to faith and to reason

Honesty makes the most of memory

Not wasting the light of life

In tracing down half-truth melodies

It rather cuts them like a knife

Honesty is transparent

And like water to dry earth

When it mixes with earth’s elements

The miracles start to work

Earth, seed, light, and time

Will make the tallest tree

But not without a water source

Water… clear like honesty

Without honesty seeds of potential

And circumstances’ fertile ground

Never will produce

A forest rich and full of sound.

Honesty is the anti-mask

We all should seek to wear

Wearing never to remove

Through it viewing life more clear

Clear and without fear

And to be viewed as ourselves

For this mask hides no good thing

But brings to light how we must change

And what song our souls must sing

The anti-mask, invisible

Is both a weapon and a strong defense

Disarming with the gentle truth

Fighting off lies with common sense

God help me wear my antimask

And inspire as I do

Others to wear their antimask

And cling to all things true.

Douglas Elder

1/11/12