You Don't Know Me

Not sure a description is needed. :)

You Don’t Know Me

 

You see my face,

Yet that’s not me…it’s not the essence, but the mask you see.

 

You hear my voice,

But the timbre misleads…a false, but comfortable reality, to believe.

 

You nod at my words,

Empty as they are…acknowledging the veneer; never the scars.  

 

You accept what you perceive,

Such a neat little box.

Wrapped in conformingly pretty paper,

That in itself mocks.

 

You see the façade,

It’s what I allow…but that’s never been me, and isn’t me now.

Reviews

[Kathy Van Kurin]

"You don't Know Me"
ReedWrite,
Third stanza gave the full thread of inner working of the human soul. We can only respond to one another from a outer persona:
"You nod at my words,
Empty as they are...acknowledging the veneer; never the scars."
We are a complex and wonderful bundle changing an in process. With many layers. I guess it depends on what we allow viewed of ourselves and how long we are acquainted with any one person.
"You see the facade,
It's what I allow...but that's never been me, and isn't me now."

[ReedWrite]

Thank you, Kathy. I appreciate the review.

[.]

We can all relate to this.......

Wearing the mask to hide our true emotions and the true person that lies beneath. For many it is a way of getting through life without giving the outward projection that beneath the smile is perhaps a struggling soul, not as content as he/she may seem. We only show what we want others to see.

A very neat poem with a nice flow and a theme that many can relate to.

[ReedWrite]

Thank you for this review, Doodley...I very much appreciate you taking the time to read and comment.

[Richard🖌]

Your first and your current posts …
each filled by depth and understandings beyond what (quote) normal thinking perceives.
Few I've approached with the notion that, "We are not what we see … what we see is but our covering, all we are physically and mentally but tools that serve our three-dimensional forms in the three-dimensional world in which we live: our hair, eyes, skin, bodies, hands, arms, legs, feet, even out brains are but 'our' tools serving the actual us." They tend to think I'm deranged, and it's seriously doubtful I fit on the "normal" list … LOL!
Still I want you to know I "get" the gist of that which you've shared … for me, it is always reassuring/nice knowing someone does.
I'm thinking you mean your inferences in a personality sense, but I do tend to carry things a bit further than necessary — at times.
Whatever, this is really not about me, but about this amazing poem that grabs hold of the senses and shakes awareness to look deeper than the cover, not to take its author for granted … that's for sure.

Easy flow, with good rhymes, all well-stated word choices, make this a genuinely enjoyable piece to ponder on long after signing-off.
Thanks, Dear Poetess, for sharing more of the real You … grateful smiles 'n hugs! ⁓ Richard

[ReedWrite]

Thank you, Richard. I actually wrote this poem after leaving a 35 year marriage. So many years of wanting to fit into the "box" that was expected. Playing a part. Smiling. Doing all the expected things wives and moms are supposed to do in a traditional Mid-Western small town community...and yet, so much of the real me was never allowed to express itself. When it did, it was criticized, mocked, and condemned. I am not complaining...just sharing where the words came from. If I had it to do over, I wouldn't change anything...because I raised 3 beautiful children. More importantly, I grew...learned how to stand up for myself. Writing is part of that journey, I think. But the experience itself, the growth, the pain, the emotions...those are a writer's tools of trade, are they not? Thank you so much for your review, and kind words. They mean a lot.

[Richard🖌]

Yours mean a lot to me, too, as do from where they were derived.

[David Scott]

Funny, I heard this exact statement from a good friend when I told him a fact about his destructive behaviors. We are speaking again and he admits, I did know him and I did see him.
True. Many make assumptions. Many don't bother to look before they judge. However, keep open to the advice and support of those who do see you and speak in love.

[ReedWrite]

Thank you. Appreciate your words. :)

[fierceauthor]

BOLD...Smart and Strong not to mention a real masterpiece

[ReedWrite]

Thank you! I appreciate those words very much.