What if
One day
When you awoke
Your heart was on your sleeve,
Your thoughts and feelings
Clear to all
And no chance to deceive.
No filtering
No sugar coat
No blatant downright lies,
Just simple truths
Some good
Some bad
Before your loved ones’ eyes.
Would they believe
The things they learnt
You thought of them
Each day,
Or would they misinterpret
All the things you tried to say?
For sadly it’s a simple fact
We learn when we’re quite small,
No matter how
Sublime the truth
The lies in life fool all.
We think we want to hear it straight
We ask for it outright,
But in reality
We don’t
As truth can sound like spite.
But carefully crafted tales
And Lies
Can cover up the cracks,
In paper thin relationships
And make us feel relaxed.
If our heart
Was on our sleeve
It wouldn’t go down well,
We’d carefully take it off again
And decide which truths to tell.
Pooky's Poems 
This is beautiful.
And depressingly true.
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Thank you – it is rather cynical but I’m afraid I believe every word!
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I would never judge for cynicism (I’m 14 and ready jaded, lol)
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Oh god. You just made me feel like a haggard old woman. I’m 31 next week… 😉
I was equally jaded aged 14, getting a little less so now though it breaks through occasionally! How long have you been blogging?
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You aren’t old! 31 sounds like a perfect age to be.
About a year now, but I had to take down my blogger blog because my parents found it and in a moment of anger had used some… Choice language to describe my mother. My WordPress has been up less than a week.
And you give me hope! That I will not be cynical forever.
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I’m certainly far happier at 31 than I ever was at 14. I wasn’t very good at being a teenager truth be told but I grew into myself in my twenties.
Sorry to hear about your old blog. It can’t have been good having your parents read that stuff, but also it must have been a really hard decision to move away from an established blog with people you were used to talking to etc. Will folk follow you over do you think or are you having to be careful about sharing the address to keep it anonymous from your parents?
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I the funny thing is, I had no following on my old one, it was just way for me to rant into the ether.
I’m really excited that so many people like my stuff, its completely unedited and spontaneous so yeah.
How did you find it? Just curious.
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I’m really impressed by the community element of WordPress these days. I’ve only just started this blog about a month ago and have really quickly found people to talk to.
I found you because you used the tag emotions – I tend to take a look each day at posts tagged with a tag I’ve also used, just a kind of a habit and a nice way to find new people.
Unedited and spontaneous is GOOD and it’s great that you’re speaking honestly about the ups and downs of being a gay teen, that’s inspirational for all those to scared to be honest with themselves and others and should make the rest of us stop and think a little bit too.
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I’m glad you find me 🙂 I’m really happy people find my blog to be good. And I guess so. I don’t consider myself that brace but 🙂 thanks
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very brave indeed! Keep it up x
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Thanks 🙂
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Yes, so true. My parents use to tell me to be nice or say nothing at all.
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I think it is probably the only way to get on in life to be fair!
DO you still follow that rule?
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Your poetry is getting better and better in my opinion. Im certainly no expert but you have moved with your writing to a different place in a very short time. This one is super duper! 😊 Xx
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Thanks, that’s really kind of you to say. I am finding that I’m enjoying it more and more and this one’s thanks to you. I had a brief moment of ‘I need to write something fun today to lighten the mood’ but it didn’t flow. Then I recalled our conversations and decided to just go with what I really felt and this wrote itself in about five minutes. Thank you for reading every day – I really appreciate it!
I will try and keep up my poem a day whilst I’m in Spain from Sunday for a week but please don’t think me rude if I don’t reply to comments etc as my mobile bill might not take it! xxx
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No problems about comments! Have a lovely time! 😊 Xx
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Thank you! It will be the first time we’ve flown with both girls so it will be interesting… x
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I find as I age, honesty is what I value most and give it freely if asked.
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I value it too but it’s not always well received!
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This is absolutely amazing. I’ve not been in a great place & this poem speaks so much truth. It really hit home.
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It means a huge amount to me when the words I write mean something to someone else – thank you for saying so… I’m sorry you’re not doing too well. I gathered as much from your last post. Are you feeling any more in control? You seemed so excited just a short time ago though I can understand why things might seem quite overwhelming. Your course is a lot to take on board, a lot of responsibility, but you’ll be having a hugely positive impact too x
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I am so so excited about my career & University couldn’t be going any better. It’s more of a knock in my emotional life. Loneliness is a killer & I think after some recent events it’s hit me. It also doesn’t help that I have flu so I am feeling very sorry for myself!! x
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Sorry to hear that but it’s great to hear that you’re still excited by your studies and doing well x
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This is fantastic! I’m loving the flow of your poems, and the message here is bang on. 🙂
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Thanks so much Cubby x
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This is exactly what I am going through right now. Not necessarily the lies just the unspoken truths.
I’ll let you know how it turns out. Thanks for the read.
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Oh wow… Good luck. You’ve left me intrigued. Heading to your blog to see if it shares your secrets. Thanks for stopping by and for taking the time to comment.
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This one reached inside to my special place. In the last 6 months of my son’s life, we three became so close that the barrier of pretense fell away completley. We shared our essence with each other. There is such a freedom and beauty in truth. It wasn’t always easy, we shared the hard truths as well as the beautiful ones, but it was precious and worthwhile. That’s what I miss the most since their deaths, the loving trust that comes with knowing and being known at an essence level.
These days I still have to adjust my mask to a degree with everyone I know, because my truth is too much for them. If I share the reality of my heart people stay away for a while, or chuck me a cliché, or try to fix the unfixable, or worst of all, blame me in some way for my suffering. So when I have the strength I don the Tricia, happy, funny, playful woman mask. That’s why I spend so much time on my own, because I’d rather live in truth with memories, than be in a room filled with loving pretense.
Thanks for this, Pooky. This poem has been a precious gift to me. xo
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There is something very liberating about speaking the truth and having the truth spoken to you. I think it can only work in a completely supportive environment – which you clearly created in your family of three.
It saddens me so much to think of you hiding behind your mask and having to perform for those around you but I can completely understand that it’s what society expects of us all. I’m so glad you can find honesty at home and in the words you share with us. Some wounds never heal. Nor should they (in my opinion).
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Obviously this is absolutely brilliant. I really enjoyed the steady pace, meter and perfect rhyme. And the message is touching and poignant.
As you suggest, current societal norms leave little space for true honesty and I find that a shame.
I fondly remember a movie I watched earlier this year called “The invention of Lying”. A world just like ours except that lying does not exist and people always speak their mind. It interestingly portrayed that everyone just accepted this, the good and the bad in everyday interactions, and I guess I felt a desire to experience that sort of openness. Hurts are expressed, acknowledged, and immediately moved on. Not a perfect world but a more honest & open one.
Its a humorous movie with a very deep core, highly recommended!
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It tickled me that you said “Obviously this is absolutely brilliant” because I didn’t think people would like it at all.
That film sounds really interesting. I will add it to my ‘must watch’ list and try to get around to it at some point. Clearly the screenwriter was less cynical than I. Mind you, I think it would be different if had always been so and if everyone behaved the same way..
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I say what I feel, obvious to me may not be to all. I’m curious why you doubted this poem’s acceptance. I guess that is the way of the author, I have felt that myself too.
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I’m not sure I could put a finger on it. Maybe just because it’s so cynical? I just felt that even more than most, this was just for me but I’m glad it interested other people too.
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I’ve just seen the poem you dedicated to me. Bless you Peter, you made me smile ear to ear. I did comment there but either I’m in your mod queue or WordPress ate it…. Xxx
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I think WordPress was hungry. A day ago it regurgitated a hundred or more old post notifications at me from another blog! Save your holiday bandwidth and comment when you are more able 🙂
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I like this poem Pooky, the idea of growing and learning from experience and being able to reflect o our lives is not everyone is able to do. Very well done.
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Thank you – it reads rather cynically but I’m enjoying the conversations it’s triggered!
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Wonderful poem and the truth written so well, Pooky! I love the flow and it kind of reminds me of some of mine! 🙂 Have a wonderful weekend!
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Well that’s a compliment indeed. I love your poems x
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I like this poem. I think stories serve as a critical tool for sharing values and lessons. Also, sometimes they can be very effective in delivering a message. Thank you for sharing, Pooky.
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Thank you – I’m glad it struck a chord. It’s surprising how much you can learn by reconsidering your own experiences and sharing them with others.
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This is so true… very nicely written, loved the sound and tune of this poem as i read it! 🙂
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