Writer’s Dilemma

Not to hurt one’s feelings,

“Oh, yes,”

I’ve been told so many times,

so many times over the years.

“Oh, yes!”

“Really?”

“Yes, I did!”

Friends new and old

would say throughout

the twenty and four years taken

to have The Climbing Boy published.

“Oh, yes!”

“Really?”

“Yes, I did!”

Do they say the truth?

my mind would question.

After all no one wants to hurt you.

Writers! 

We,

you and I pour our souls

into what we write.

Friends do not want to hurt you.

I do not want to hurt you so,

“Yes!

Oh, yes!” I’ve said when reading

the words I know had been

mulled over, thought over and

pulled from the Poet’s Handbook

or a Random House Thesaurus

then written and re-written.

“Oh, yes!

Yes, I did!”

“Really,” they would ask.

“Really, you really like it?”

“Oh, yes!

Yes, I did!”

Written and re-written,

then put into the semblance

of a story, of a poem and,

here it is,

and there it is,

and I’m a friend,

they’re a friend,

do they say,

do I say

what our minds say will hurt?

Maybe.

Maybe a true friend

would say the truth

because,

maybe you

maybe me

maybe we do not really

like what we know

had been

mulled over, thought over and

pulled from the Poet’s Handbook

or a Random House Thesaurus

then written and re-written.

Do we say the truth?

Not wanting to hurt

friends do lie.

“Oh, yes!

Yes, I did!”

Do I say the truth?

Do they say the truth,

my mind would question.