BEWARE

What is to one fair beauty may repulse,
Another who knows better what is false,
Where glib humour hides pretentious spite,
One may be blind the other keen of sight.
Though some assume never exposing fact,
Others do question each and every act,
The friend you trust may not be what he seems,
So better it is to provoke him to extremes,
For he who is fair minded is not aloof,
But shares his inner frailties despite reproof,
Knowing the other can hurt him with his spite,
For defenceless trust knows not how to fight.
More oft the flatterer who doth know you not,
Seeks by his flattery to gain what you have got.