What of sides?

What of sides?

We all have them

We take them too.

But what are they,

When what you show

Can mean so much,

And to hide away,

Adopt a facade,

Present yourself as different,

Take up a position people

Did not expect,

Provokes such approbation.

How can it be otherwise?

In this age of self promotion,

Instant access,

Freedom of expression.

The people’s right to know

Trumps privacy

And good manners every time.

And yet,

We still find a way

To spring a surprise.

And when we do

It can be a risk,

Seen as betrayal,

In someone’s eyes.

People can believe

It is their right to know you.

As if that is easy,

When so much can be missed

With the flash of a smile,

A whispered remark,

To cover the discomfort

We may not care to share,

In an everyday kind of way,

Where we sport a social side,

Support an open display

Of affection

And communication,

Within agreed limits

Awareness of personal space

And boundaries.

We keep disclosure

On the right side

Of acceptability,

Wear a friendly face

In the work space.

Up to the point

The mask slips

And we cannot help

But lose control

Of the carapace,

As the show smile slides.

Not even close to being

A truly dark side,

But still, a difference

Too difficult for some,

To adjust their expectations.

It seems,

We can be ostracised,

For being

More than we generally

Appear to be.

When transparency

Is the new norm,

Complex emotions are bad form,

If you learn to fake it,

You might make it.