False Friends

When travelling deep underground beware
false friends with snake oil remedies
who wish to worm their way into your heart
selling false ideas and flatteries
only to take more than they give in the end,
do not be blinded by the colours they wear
or become overly enamoured by their manner
they roam far and wide
seeking subjects to capture,
the unfortunate enraptured
oblivious as their pockets are picked
where heart's desire are swapped with treacherous trinkets
trophies of gold and silver cross the conniving palms
with small alterations to then pass on
and convey as new wonders
as they feign ignorance of misconduct,
dear visitor stay vigilant in your journey
for there reasons the nomads are always moving;
flitting from trap and trick and ruse
with no welcome home to harbour them
as unwelcome as a trying troll
little more than vampiric parasites
taking whatever they can grab
to later express and impart as their own
when they have no origin or original thought
other than the next possible ploy,
so always take words of wisdom with a pinch of salt
and share only what you want to be open
for all to see and stare at
while keeping the rest safely locked away in trust,
looks can be deceiving and all that glitters is not gold
what truly lies behind what is seen
could be nothing but smoke and mirrors
for kind words can hide daggers and thieves,
trust in the well rooted
who like a tree bear fruit of their labours
seeking to nourish, grow and prosper
shading visitors seeking respite,
far from the pathways fraught with fraudulents
bent on cunning copy or malign mimicry
having been kicked hither and thither
because they were prone to plunder
and now instead are set to wander
preying on those who pause to openly wonder
what could the harm of a close confidant be?