When I was younger, I was always real shy.

Strangers didn't see my happiness; they didn't see me cry.

Around my friends I had a ball,

but out in public I hit a wall.

I acted how everyone was supposed to be,

but inside I knew that wasn't the real me.

While I made friends, they didn't seem to stick.

Then I realized I was missing the trick.

I had to act like myself,

not like the ideal person on the shelf.

My new curtain is sheer, not completely see through,

But I show when I'm happy, I show when I'm blue.

While I'm still a little shy, I try to be more outgoing,

And slowly I feel my personality showing.

By being this way I made friends just like me.

I'm thankful I found friends with the same personality.

This goes to show: "be true to yourself."

You'll live in the real world, not on a bookshelf.