Terrified of Being Outed

I did not know I was worthwhile when I was a child
I thought I was pretty, but that got bashed out of me
I knew I was bad; the belt proved that, right?

An artist? A poet? A cartoonist? A writer? An illustrator?
I was not told any of this; instead I thought I was dumb and weird.
We were told this, my sister and I, so we “would not get big heads.”

No worries there. We were terrified others would discover our secret.
Feared being found out, and outed, made fun of by the others.
It was bad enough we were fools in our own home.
Copyright © | Year Posted 2021

Poem

Post Comments

Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem. Negative comments will result your account being banned.

Please Login to post a comment

Hankins Avatar
April 6, 2021 at 8:50 PM
Oh my, how sad. You probably went through a lot of self-doubt before you found yourself...and, lo, became pleased with yourself. :)
Krutsinger Avatar
April 6, 2021 at 9:26 PM
I surely did!
Wolf Avatar
April 6, 2021 at 12:13 PM
Sometimes I think that whatever one is told by parents, the exact opposite is true. How frustrating! ~ gw
Krutsinger Avatar
April 6, 2021 at 12:30 PM
It is truly curious why parents say and do what they do.
Bauer Avatar
April 6, 2021 at 9:58 AM
so glad that your artistic and poetic soul was able to emerge victorious, caren!
Get a Premium Membership
Turn off ads, get more exposure for your poetry, and get more features with a Premium Membership.
Book: Diverse Voices: The Poetry of Human Rights and the Pursuit of Peace