- Volume 9 -

A collection of verse

by Dahni

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Dedication -

 To:

 Rubio and MS allthat and other Real Poets like you

"Thank you Rubio for inspiring this work!

 Thank you MS allthat for freeing my heart to write it!

May we all learn to at least agree, to disagree

and that art and heart really do matter!"

 Dahni October 1998

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Forward

By Arman Sicova, editor for I-Magine Publications

   This work truly represents a departure in style for Dahni, but certainly not in heart.  I have personally never met a life in this life, so driven to understand and to communicate to others. The constant use of themes, various styles employed, word usage and imagery (among other tools) all, are indicative of this.  Dahni meets subject matter herein boldly and head-on. Titles have all been carefully chosen by the author to draw the reader in and to use language which most of us are familiar with, albeit perhaps not in everyday use? At first glance, some could think this is nothing more than a collection of erotic or pornographic poetry.  Some might even say they are obscene. I assure you that in reading, much more depth will be found!  The writing here is not written to be iconoclastic or splashy. It is not written to offend or take liberty with the reader's emotions. Although 'Behind the mask' represents our freedom of speech enjoyed in this country, it is NOT written for any other reason than to open the eyes to the heart.

    We all have either met others who try to be someone else or attempted this futile task ourselves.  I suppose the internal searching of our own imperfections or the ideas forced upon us in society, are the principal causes for this.  Having recently just passed through another Halloween, the imagery of masks is still warm in the memory. Masks are seen during this holiday, at costume balls, and in the faces of circus clowns and mimes. These images are used here as reference points, but the masks are also removed, to reveal the real faces behind them.

    This forward was begun in expressing, this is a departure from the writer's usual style. I noticed this in the titles from the table of contents.  Even though the titles themselves peaked my curiosity to read, I had to stop. Unlike many of you, mine is the opportunity to speak with the author.  As Dahni often says, I wanted to know, "Waz up!"  Why had he written this work with so much obvious sexual imagery? There are two individuals whom Dahni had met which had and have a profound effect upon his life.

    Rubio is a Norwegian author that has made his living as a poet since he was twelve years of age. He was recently in this country to work on some translations when he and Dahni met.  Rubio is almost half of Dahni's age, but Dahni highly respects this man and his works and refers to him as, "my real poet friend." Beyond Rubio's ability to write, Dahni is so impressed with the honesty in which Rubio writes. He told Rubio as such and added, "I could never write like this!" When pressed for an answer as to WHY, Dahni responded with words of his own inability to write so boldly.  He could not remove the focus from his mind of Rubio's honesty. The poem 'Suck' was born.  This poem is included in this collection, but was first written in another called 'The Ache.' He felt very strongly about including it here. I wholeheartedly agreed.  Rubio was the first to have read it and his encouragement led to this entire collection.

    During the writing of this work that Dahni felt was so difficult to write, he met another wonderful poet called MS allthat.

   Again, Dahni was so attracted to the honesty in which MS allthat writes, but there was more.  Behind the mask is in a sense, the author's own self-discovery and uncovering of his own mask.  Sex in our society even though placed upon the front burner of our attention in the media, still is steeped in vulgarity, boils with pornography and is fueled with repression.  Sex is so often thought and taught, to be dirty while violence seems acceptable. The poem here called 'Hypocrisy' clearly illustrates this.  Inside of Dahni's mind there was a fire raging.  Dahni struggled with first the writing of this work and then his own guilt in writing it.  He is an artist that has long loved the human body and has even painted nude portraits without shame.  Still, his heart was torn in two.  On one hand he could clearly see the need to give these individual poems to others. His hope is that you also, could somehow heal.  On the other hand, his love for children, decency and personal morality were eating away at his own heart. Of course, this was before he met MS allthat!   

    "MS allthat loves sex and celebrates it freely, openly and her love for life has freed my own heart," Dahni told me.  He went on to express how thankful he is for this woman and how he could never begin to either repay her or even communicate his thanks for the gifts she has given him. Interestingly, they have never personally met, nor is their relationship based upon sex!

    Here now, I wish to express my own gratitude to Rubio and MS allthat!  Without you, this work would have never been written!  This work still is an extension of Dahni's heart to write for others.  It is still a reflection of his love for others and proof of this from his his own struggle, to remove his own mask. He desired his own freedom, but he more so wanted to show others how they too, could remove their own and walk free!

    'Behind the mask' is an honest reflection of what many of us have thought and felt. The language of  sex is often used here, but what lies deeper or underneath the mask will surprise you, touch you, move you and yes heal you as they have the writer, others and myself. All one needs to do, to experience this and so much more living, is to come out from 'Behind the mask!'

 Deeply, 

Arman

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