I like scarecrows, and have nothing against them.  I love autumn for it’s when I see them busy in their fields going about their duties.  My favorite view is to see this formidable creature sharing his straw filled shoulder with some sort of winged fowl.

I’m often temped to list scarecrow as a once previous position when filling out job applications.    Now,  you may say, and rightly so, “What an idiotic thing to do!”  After all, the scarecrow has no brain, wears shabby clothes and is impaled with a stick. Ouch…that has to hurt!   Is that where the saying, “stick up your ass” comes from?  I don’t know…but I bet Google does.

Obviously, we would  not snag too many a job by including this on our resume; however, I’m convinced that we’ve all played the scarecrow at least once in our lives.

According to a fellow blogger ,  the scarecrow will:

“…pretend to be what he is not,

So to defend the things he thinks he’s got.

Ridiculous in all his sad attire,

With arms spread out as though he could go,

higher.”

We’re all guilty of putting on a facade.   We begin this stupid idiotic deed early in our lives and master it so well, that even we, ourselves, forget who we are.  We carry this over into adulthood and savagely cling to it because we think it will elevate our status among friend and foe.  Our very desire to be accepted robs us of our true identity.

I’m guilty.  I played the scarecrow most of my life  by hiding the fact that I was gay.  Everyone else was happy with who they thought me to be, but I was most miserable and dying inside.  Every day my soul was vexed until I finally disrobed the “sad attire” and stood naked and vulnerable before all.  Many were appalled and turned their faces and I was left alone to feel the coldness of their turned backs.

I lost a lot of friends and family when I stopped pretending, but for the first time I had openly  acknowledged myself.   And in turn “me” embraced “me,” and it was  love at first sight.   After that introduction I determined to never again play the scarecrow.

Perhaps…you…may be playing the scarecrow…?

(If you enjoy poetry you should check out this writer. )