Do Not Be Fooled.

Don’t be fooled by me
Don’t be fooled by the face I wear
For I wear a thousand masks, masks that I’m afraid to take off
And none of them are me
Pretending is an art that’s second nature to me, but don’t be fooled,
For God’s sake don’t be fooled
I give the impression that I’m secure, that all is sunny and unruffled
With me, within me as well as without
That confidence is my name and coolness is my game
And that I need no one
But don’t believe me. Please

My surface may seem smooth, but my surface is my mask
Beneath this lies no complacence
Beneath dwells the real me, in confusion, in fear, and aloneness
But I hide this, I don’t want anybody to know it
That’s why I frantically created a mask to hide behind,
A non chalant, sophisticated façade,
To help me pretend, to shield me from the glance that knows
But such a glance is precisely my salvation. My only salvation.
And I know it
That is if it’s followed by acceptance, if it’s followed by love
It’s the only thing that will assure me of what I can’t assure myself
That I am worth something

But I don’t tell you this, don’t dare. I’m afraid to
I’m afraid that your glance will not be followed by acceptance and love
I’m afraid you’ll think less of me, that you’ll laugh at me, and your laugh would kill me
I’m afraid that deep down I’m nothing. that I’m no good
And that you will see this and reject me
So I play my game, my desperate game
With a façade of assurance without, and a trembling child within
And so begins the parade of masks, and my life becomes a front.

I idly chatter to you in the suave tones of surface talk..
I tell you everything that is really nothing
And nothing of what’s everything
So when I’m going through my routine, do not be fooled by what I’m saying
Please listen carefully and try to hear what I can’t say
What I’d like to be able to say
What for survival I need to say, but what I can’t say
I dislike hiding. Honestly!
I dislike the superficial game I’m playing, the phony game
I’d really like to be genuine and spontaneous, and me

But you’ve got to help me. You’ve got to hold out your hand
Even when that’s the last thing I seem to want
Only you can wipe away from my eyes the blank stare of breathing death
Only you can call me into aliveness

Each time you’re kind, and gentle, and encouraging
Each time you try to understand because you really care
My heart begins to grow wings, very small wings, very feeble wings, but wings
With your sensitivity and sympathy, and your power of understanding
You can breathe life into me. I want you to know that

I want you to know how important you are to me
How you can be the creator of the person that is me if you choose to
Please choose to. You alone can break down the wall behind which I tremble
You alone can remove my mask
You alone can release me from my shadow world of panic and uncertainty
From my lonely person. Don not pass me by

Please..do not pass me by
It will not be easy for you
A long conviction of worthlessness builds strong walls
The nearer you approach me, the blinder I strike back
I fight the very thing I cry out for
But I am told that love is stronger than walls, and in this lies my hope.
Please try to beat down those walls with firm hands
But with gentle hands for a child is very sensitive
Who am I, you may wonder. I am someone you know very well
For I am every woman you meet and every child you meet

AoA! Hi

Beautifully written! Sehar, I always enjoy your poetry/writings. Keep posting!


We all in one way or the other wear masks, don't we?


If you remember the movie "The Mask", there was a professor in the movie who authors the book "The masks we wear". (I really wish, I cud read that book sometime). I am a very bad judge of people. I dont realise 'til it is too late that a person isn't what he/she seems to be.

But after having had a few bad experiences, I have come to conclusion that people wear masks. People are not always what they seem to be. It is, I believe, not a negative thought, but a very logical one.


God Bless! Take Care!

nice sharing

Thank you for the comments.

nice sharing

You are most welcome Sehar!

Hope to see you soon with another gem!


God Bless!

"Dont be fooled" is a good collectiion in poems.
Thanks 4 sharing