I like this Sylvia. You have come out and drawn a picture of who you are. No hiding of facts but the plain truth, for all to see. An appreciating read as well as an insight to who you are..well done.

Very nicely penned Sylvia,the reader can see,who you are,with bare facts portrayed in 'Many faces of me' a perfect title.

This is a beautiful poem.
Man does have many faces which he tends to hide. Even if he does not hide them they are not known to all shown to all.

You have shown or should I say prayed yourself very beautifully in this poem.

First you start by telling that you are a solitary creature who likes to be alone. You do not like to be with others because maybe you know they are going to betray you.... You tell this from your past experiences.

You say that you are like a lamb... Meek and mild until someone threatens you you can be a tool of massive destruction's.
You are an independent being.

Beautiful own wonderfully written.

I am meek and mild like a lamb,
unless you try to pull a scam,
or I feel threatened by a foe,
the wrath of a tiger, I will bestow.

I love that line!! Despite the sweet exterior there's a Tigress that lives in there! Haha I really like this. It's sweet and contemplative and nice and open. You seem pretty cool to me ;D

I always admire your poetry...) Sometimes being alone is the best thing. When we are let down by someone, it's hard to trust again, but the good things are, there are many genuine people in this world. Never stop writing...)

A good, honest write - well written with a nice flow. Well done.

Hello Sylvia,

A mirror poem - a piece of writing where you write about the person in the mirror. Much like a self portrait.

A solitary creature, am happy alone,
now that my child is grown
out on their own.
^
I like the three line rhyme here. These lines concentrate about 20 years: Being a responsible mother and having to socialise for the good of your family. You confess that this goes against your grain, so is all the more admirable.

There are so many parts to me,
some which people will never see.
^
I can relate to this - we are like onions with many layers, many of them, if not all tear inducing. Nice couplet, which separates the motion.

Betrayal of trust at an early age
locked my heart in a cage
where parts of me remain today
the world still held at bay.
^
Four lines, change of pace again; an explanation of the preceding lines/ years.
A traumatic and life changing/ scaring event that created the need to put up a wall, wear a mask for others. These are coping strategies and help a vulnerable soul feel strong enough to cope and fit into society. Years on the scars remain...

What I will share
if people care.
^
Couplet - an honest statement, and a brave one too. *question mark needed after 'care?'

I am meek and mild like a lamb,
unless you try to pull a scam,
or I feel threatened by a foe,
the wrath of a tiger, I will bestow.
^
Here you use a two rhyming couplets to set your normal state and then to offer a warning. Like a tiger, you will strike out of feeling threatened. Like a tiger, your senses are highly evolved and tune into threats and have learned to trust your instinct; after all they have got you this far!

Against predators, I will stand my ground
to the defense of home, family, and friends, I am bound.
^
Loyalty, again, just like a tiger, you will sacrifice yourself in order to protect that what you value most: family and friends.

Complicated and yet so simple is my life,
accomplished by removal of all strife.
^
A life learning about oneself creates a personal world that you have molded for you. Like a perfect armchair, it fits you like a glove. You have in it what you trust and feel comfortable with. This means you have removed any lumps or bumps. Sounds perfect and safe to me.

Like a cat, I'm independent, no help wanted,
continue to live undaunted.
There are many faces to me,
to which I think you will agree.
^
It is true we often have different faces or masks as I refer to them. We learn to blend in and to camouflage if necessary. Life is complicated and so it leads to a life of learning who we are and what makes us tick, but also what makes others tick. When we know this we have a better chance to lead a safe and happy life.

Sylvia, this is an excellent self portrait. You have revealed much and I suspect that shows how far you have come and grown. A brave write and one I relate to and have enjoyed.

Take care,

((hugs))

Michael

A solitary creature, am happy alone,
now that my child is grown
out on their own.
There are so many parts to me,
some which people will never see.
Betrayal of trust at an early age
locked my heart in a cage
where parts of me remain today
the world still held at bay.
^^
I think many people can relate to this because we have been betrayed in the past we would rather be alone. We hide ourselves to people that don't know us unless they ask but even then will we say all of it? Sometimes I wonder if we actually know our own families properly and what they are hiding.

What I will share
if people care.
I am meek and mild like a lamb,
unless you try to pull a scam,
or I feel threatened by a foe,
the wrath of a tiger, I will bestow.
Against predators, I will stand my ground
to the defense of home, family, and friends, I am bound.
^^
This part reminds me of myself. I will not share much about myself usually but if I know a person is good then I will and if people try to walk all over me then the tiger comes out rawwwr lol but more so I will defend my family than ever. I like how you turn into a tiger too and how you use that to your advantage in this stanza. Wonderfully done.

Complicated and yet so simple is my life,
accomplished by removal of all strife.
Like a cat, I'm independent, no help wanted,
continue to live undaunted.
There are many faces to me,
to which I think you will agree.
^^
We all have many faces and will only show our true self's to few people throughout our lives. I have a business mask, family mask and friends mask, all different. If a person can truly tell you who they are then they are truly magical because I don't even know who I truly am yet. Life's complicated.

I love your self portrait. Em