My grandmother's whispers echoed through the years,

Urging me to conceal, to shield, to disappear.

"Hide your money, child, lest it be taken away,

Hide your feelings, my dear, for they'll only betray. "

Her words, like shadows, cast a veil of doubt,

Whispering caution, warning me to keep the world out.

"Hide your plans, my love, for they'll be met with scorn,

Better to keep them secret, lest your dreams be torn. "

I listened, obedient, as her wisdom unfolded,

Tucking away my treasures, my hopes tightly folded.

The world, a treacherous place, where trust was a rarity,

I learned to navigate its depths with practiced clarity.

Yet, as the years passed, a heaviness grew within,

A longing to break free, to let my true self begin.

The weight of concealment, the burden of disguise,

Slowly eroded the spark that once shone in my eyes.

I yearned to be seen, to be heard, to be known,

To let my authentic self finally be fully shown.

But the lessons of my grandmother, so deeply ingrained,

Held me captive, my true self forever restrained.

In the quiet moments, when the world was at rest,

I would whisper my dreams, my desires unexpressed.

Longing to find the courage to shed the veil of fear,

To embrace the freedom that my heart held so dear.