Poet Okara condemns false appearances projected by people to safeguard their own interests. He bemoans the loss of genuine laughter and deep relationship between friends when he was a kid. He is saddened by the inconsistent nature of people and how successfully they take emotions to suit their convenience and personal ends. They show false warmth during daily exchanges of courtesy and wear masks to prevent discovery of their real feelings. The poet admits that he had also become a hypocrite like the rest and his reflection in the mirror does not reflect warmth of human love but the fangs of a snake deadly enough to kill fellow humans. So, he requests his son to teach the forgotten art of spontaneous and genuine laughter similar to his boyhood days.
