The Big Bad Truth

It’s hard to face what pain can mean,

When doing so might strip you clean,

To see it full, not blur the scene,

Would threaten all you built between.

It’s easier to claim it’s gone,

Or say the hurt should not drag on,

To change the truth, dismiss the tone,

So you don’t have to stand alone,

To hear a wound and let it land,

Without defense or slight of hand,

Requires more than most will bear,

Because it means: I wasn’t there.

It means: I saw but chose to stay,

It means: I turned and walked away,

And that’s a truth too sharp to hold,

So softer lies are often told.

But silence doesn’t set you free,

And time alone won’t let it be,

If you can’t look at what was real,

You’ll never learn, and never heal.

Cathrine Hottran 2025