The Worried Mask of Ezras

In the bear country of Edam,

Where the country folk live more at random,

Is a wise old woman known as Crazy Karkatoo

Who has the largest collection of masks seen in all the country through.

Some of her masks are rumored to have been worn by gods.

Other masks were worn by demons and some whose meanings are held at odds.

The wooden mask of Balazartha

Was worn by a Muskeetan Princess as an act of war.

The golden face of Zeneethes

Was worn by a boy to bring peace.

The face of a boar was worn in ritual.

The mask called the metal man was meant to be very spiritual.

But locked in a box inside another box with a intricate key

Was the mask of Ezras, tucked away so nobody can see.

Crazy Karkatoo came by this mask in a flea market in Foy.

She recognized its marks at once and gave a hearty payment to the boy.

This mask was rumored to bring destruction to whomever wears the face,

For it causes irreputable worry in its very time and place.

The most famous of the stories of this mask, was called “The Worrying Fate”

For a man who was nicknamed Worried Warty Wigginis, found himself in a wretched state,

When he found the mask buried deep in his back yard,

And tried it on for Hallows Month, but then found his situation hard

To remove the mask, so he stayed in bed all day,

Fretting about his family, impending doom, or major catastrophes in play.

He scratched at his skin

Walked in circles again and again

And would call all his friends to complain

And would holler to his empty halls in agony and pain.

He worried over the health of his children,

Are they doing well? Are they scared? Will they ever visit him again?

He worried that he worried too much for those to want to share a meal.

He worried about the way he worried and worried how that made him feel.

He worried the day would not come and the night would stay too long.

He worried he would forget the words to his favorite birthday song.

He made plans in between the moments of all his treacherous thoughts.

He drank spoonfuls of vinegar to help with all his stomach knots.

And poor Worried Warty Wiggins was finally found,

With his head buried in fear inside a hole he dug inside the ground.

With his mask still affixed tightly to his face,

Which remained well past the body in the sacred resting place.

Karkatoo liked to keep the Mask of Ezras as a reminder

That life is to be lived and occasionally properly planned for.

She tells the children that come to her for pie,

“Don’t let the Face of Ezras come over your eyes,

“Don’t be so overcome with all of your fears

“That you forget the best part of living, is actually living all your years.”