Written to the prompt: “But do you really know me though?” Describe the difference between being known and being understood.


Exposure

Between being known and being understood,
being seen risks the sting of rejection
as we often proffer to the crowds
what we hide as we slip under covers.

A game of lifetime hide and seek
played with hesitation, we battle ourselves
over what we reveal, how much to unmask,
revelation sometimes a stroke of death.

We can never really know another,
not completely, for we don’t truly know ourselves,
our memories changing through time,
rewritten to suit our desires.

The best we can do is accept without flinching
when the mask drops and we finally see
the secrets kept hidden and why,
perhaps wishing the truth could be unseen.

Now we carry the weight of understanding,
and with it the burden of their history
beside our own, knowing that each of us
has looked beneath the covers and survived.



Poetry by Melinda K Zarate The PoetBay support member heart!
Written on 2026-07-06 at 20:53

Tags Self  Understanding  Acceptance 

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