A Child Cries Can you hear me? Do you see me? Am I loved? Do you know me? Do I matter? Who are you? You say you care, Empathise� But, how do I know You�re not lying? How do I know You understand? Have you been here before? I don�t think so� Well, I don�t know. You never share anything Except you�re authority! The counsellor stance. Reflect back my problem� Classic listening skills. You�ve adapted them well. But, enough about me. I wanna know you. What are your fears? Where do you get your strength? List your weaknesses� What frightens you? What makes you bleed? When do you feel sorrow? Your happiest moment� Don�t use time As the all-covering excuse! I�ve known you years! But I do not know you. Stop the charade! Remove your mask! Tear down the wall! Let me inside� In this ride called life I need you to be real, Revealed. Coz� you expect me To give all I have. Share my dark side� My light side� And every shade in-between! Whilst you stay clean� White, bright, flawless� Not beside me, as you pretend. You�re in front, way ahead. Oh, how to reach out? Be effective Show you�re defective. Loose your authority! Gain my credibility. And most intimate secrets We share� Coz� you�re there� In the midst of my sorrow, Relating through your own pain. Come on, get real! Dear reader, be me! All that I share, I give freely. I show I care So stop being my Father, brother, uncle, Police, doctor, preacher, Authority figures Listen to me Without all the cliches I only want you To be my friend. I hear the you cry� � Elizabeth 30th April 1999 "This poem is about people who try to get close to you without revealing anything personal of themselves. They expect you to open up, and reveal all, before you even know their middle name? Sometimes you can know these people for years, but not really know them. They are really good listeners, know how to draw you out, emotionally and mentally, but they�re �fakers� because they pretend to care. These people have all the �text book� know how to get inside you, but none of the heart. They don�t show they understand your pain, through personal examples. So in that way, they appear stand-off-ish and ineffective. This poem is a cry to those types of people, to be real and exposed, so they can have a true relationship with you. And finally, let me thank those of you who are real and show true beauty in your vulnerability."