Beware Unexpected Adulation

In the raucous vibration of daily life,
adulation arrives, unbidden,
a smile,

 a nod,

 a word of praise,

whether at home or in the boardroom,
a chance encounter or a planned rendezvous.

It wears many faces,

innocent,

needy,
a cloak of sincerity,
a mask of desperation,
each gesture,

 each word,
a thread in a web,
often woven with care and trickery
to ensnare the wary.

Beware the honeyed words,
the flattering gaze,
the touch that lingers too long,
for beneath the surface lies intent,

concealment lurking in the shadow of ill will,

so artfully masked
a relationship so cleverly disguised,
it slips past your defenses,
undetected.

Trust,

but with vigilance.

Reveal your love,

but with discernment.

Avoid victimization,

for in the quest for meaningful connection,

not all who smile are allies,

not all who praise are genuine,

not all who love are mindful.

Your heart and mind are precious gifts.

Some would choose to upset their security

seeing them as threats to their brassy veneer

of fools-gold.