This poem actually won me a series of dates with a woman I was curious about at the time. It might have become serious, but I was adamantly dedicated to a period of celibacy at the time, and I said some ridiculous things to explain my reasons, so we ended up becoming friends. She later got married to a rich person, as I understand it.
Deception
You seem to assume
To know me
Who I am
What I am
My intentions
My purpose
You cannot know
The impossible life
Behind this that I am
You cannot know
Or begin to know
This that I am
I sought only to learn
A little about you
For when first I saw you
My heart was touched
You were as a sunset
Gleaming on the clouds
With impossible splendor
And I was touched
I heard you speak
Words with depth
Knowledge and understanding
The sunset on which I gazed
Grew even more splendid
I sought only to learn more
About this sunset
Perhaps you assume
To know my aim
Thinking it must be
To win your heart
And know your form
Perhaps you believe
That my goal
A simple roll in the sack
No…
In the years
That make my life
I have learned
Bitter lessons
Hard lessons
Many lessons
Lessons of the heart
Tearing and dismal lessons
Of the heart
Lessons of understanding
Of the soul
Amongst my teachings
That which life has taught
This that I am
I have learned
To reach with my heart
When touched
To seek greater understanding
When charmed
Held in the terrific splendor
Of a gleaming sunset
Even at great risk
Risk of rejection
Misunderstanding
Or even discovering
That the sunset
Was but a reflection
Of my standing hope
For a sparkling diamond
In the rough
I know
You will see me
Through the powerful filter
Of your experience
Perhaps this experience
Has never seen
Known
The likes of me
Perhaps you find it difficult
To believe
My aim
My goal
Was simply
To take the time
To learn about you
This has been the way
With me
It seems
I am often
Misunderstood
So
Think what you will
Of me
Fortress yourself
Within your assumptions
Lay guesses and ponderings
About this that I am
Rather than venturing
To learn
And understand
Solace your heart
With the belief
That I
Fit within your understanding
That I
Am like any other man
Just some bloke
Looking for affection
A piece of ass
Convince yourself
That I am not genuine
Honest or real
Truly interested
In learning
About the person
You are
In just taking the time
To get to know you
Choose to believe
That I
Perhaps even all men
Are driven
Solely on instinct
To mate
Only interested
In playing
The necessary games
To win your affection
Not all men
Are wired this way
But perhaps
You may never realize this
Safely fortressed
Behind your blinding assumptions
Behind your veil
Your filter
Of deception
