Years of accumulated rage or fear or sorrow
             you thought safely buried, converted to fertile soil,
             can smolder underground for years,
             burn like a peat fire thought extinguished,
             dressed in flowering dogwood and jewel weed,
             undetectable behind eyes calm as summer sky.
             Then suddenly a smoke wraith appears,
             a small flame licks a stand of dry cat tails,
             a twig, a half-rotted log,
             and soon the whole swamp erupts.
             All the beautiful animals inside you panic,
             frogs seek moist mud to bury themselves
             in vain during this drought,
             turtles cook inside their shells,
             thrush and vireo nests turn to ash in seconds,
             eggs fry in the heat.
             You pray for a three-day soaker
             before the fire spreads
             to the houses of those who live near you.
             You bring in all the fire suppression you can muster,
             helicopter drops of clenched fists and teeth,
             ceaseless pacing and praying;
             you try to douse the fire with drink
             though you know alcohol is fuel for fire;
             you set backfires with cigarettes and weed,
             and after awhile the fire seems extinguished,
             but the old folks will tell you
             the fire has only retreated below ground again
             where hot spots can smolder even under a blanket of snow.
             --Larry Schug
             Some people believe they must hide who they are to be better. Fearing they wont be accepted they try to change themselves. Not being one of the best of society and being looked down upon, they try to hide their past. To escape their kind they change their personality and try to match their character to the more 'beautiful' way. They go on fooling not only others but themselves as well. However they do not know that the truth always comes out. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby explores the theme of pretension, by revealing how the lower class people of society put up a facade in order to be affiliated with an arrogant, superior class.
             Newly rich are disillusioned by glamour and believe money can bring them happiness. Though some only believe that money could ...