Hiding

You read my words 

You think you know me 

You think my words expose me 

I will not belabor 

the workings of empathy 

except to say 

I write what others feel 

I am not exposed by my words 

They do not reveal me 

Save for fleeting glimpses 

I am hiding within them 

Disguised 

By others’ emotions  

Wrapped in borrowed sorrow 

Echoing distant joys 

I am safe 

Tucked behind my veil of verse 

Free from fear 

Free from exposure 

You read my words 

And still 

You do not see me 

More often than not 

They protect me 

My words 

Stand between me and the world 

My quiet defense 

Cautiously 

I peer from behind them 

Guarding my heart 

Sheltering my soul 

My words 

Merely a snapshot 

Showcasing the glitz and glamour 

Of a life far from me 

A life 

Where love is real 

Where grief is managed 

Where sorrow is fleeting 

My words 

Dazzle to distract 

Shimmer to shield 

Pay your dime 

Read my words 

Believe you know me 

While I remain 

Hidden 

© Ron Simpson Jr.