I am afraid.

Its a delight to find a little gem of a poem that says so much more than you think it does in just a few short words. When I first read the poem I had no idea of the depth and meaning packed tightly in this tiny package. My understanding of the words "It belied nothing" read as it hid nothing so it was thanks to Everlastings query about the word " belied" that got me thinking more deeply. (Often words have multiple variations on their meanings based on context)

"Belied" mainly means to give someone a false idea about something (his cheerful smile belied his words) - meaning he might be smiling but his words reveal something different - or his smile was hiding the true meaning of his words

If a smile belies nothing of his words - it means that his smile hid nothing of the true meaning of his words or that his smile portrayed all that he was saying was true as reflected in his smile.

So what did the poem actually mean? If you open the seams of the heart and it belied nothing then its saying in a round about way that whatever has been portrayed about the heart will be revealed as true on its opening because it hides nothing.

Understanding that instantly raises the question about what is it that makes the character feel so afraid? If the heart has spoken true then what is there to be afraid of when it is opened and the truth is finally revealed?

If you open something at the seams even if you attempt to repair it later will never be quite the same. Images of a person who is loved but doesnt believe it comes to play. In their attempts to prove that their partner doesn't really love them - they rip open the heart of their partner only to reveal that the love that has been portrayed is real. In their pursuit of truth they have ripped the very fabric of the love that they craved and the reader is left understanding why the writer had been so afraid because now it may be too late to ever put things back to where they were.

Almost becomes a perpetual self fulfilling prophecy for the initiator because of their own disbelief that anyone could love them that when they do find love they rip and rip until all love is gone and then move onto the next relationship which almost certainly will be doomed to fail.

Milly x

I’m not familiar with the word “belied” and I’m having a hard time understanding... so forgive me if I ramble a little with my comment.

“Belied” means to show to be false. So you are afraid that someone finds out that you weren’t false?

To open up needs courage.
It depends to whom we open up to.
May god bless you.