Some Truisms
by John Herlihy
Lies pretend to be the truth
Truth pretends nothing but truth
Lies the handmaiden of falsehood
Truths the handmaiden of truth
The truth about lies
They are not truth
The truth about truth
The truth is truth
The fabric of truth
Sewn of shadow and light
The fabric of falsehood
Sewn by threads of night
Lies engender
Hatred of the truth
Truth engenders
Hatred of all lies
As soon as lies arrive
Truth is not far behind
As soon as truth is heard
Lies are not far behind
Truth and lies overlap
One with the other
They go hand in hand
Like sister and brother
Silent truth feels wrong
Because it is not spoken
Outrageous lies feel right
They dare to be spoken
Truth often feels right
In doing the right thing
Lies can often feel right
In doing the wrong thing
Truth compelling, harsh
Some people prefer lies
Lies, inviting, smooth
Ready to believe the lie
Truth is like new shoes
They always feel so tight
Lies are well worn shoes
They always feel just right
Truth as a slippery fish
Flashing scales in water
Shimmering on the hook
Even noble on the line
The truth, the fish
Is still breathing
But lies too breathe
Stealing truth’s breath
Small wonder the truth
Can die a sudden death
Lies stand at the helm
Nothing of the truth left
A thing disbelieved
Discarded on ground
Looking dull and still
On the boat’s bottom
We admire the truth
Silent in the distance
When truth be heard
Something still desired
When lies live
They wait for detection
When truths die
They wait for resurrection
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Copyright ©John Herlihy
Saturday 27 December 2025
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NOW, WITH REGARDS TO...HISTORY(THE 'ROOTS' OF ANYTHING) I DON'T EVEN WANT TO 'BEGIN' TO GO THERE BECAUSE 'TRUISMS' CAN BECOME VERY PAINFUL AND THE 'LIES' TO COVER THEM UP, VERY UNFAIR. AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THAT. THANKS FOR THE SHARE, MY FRIEND. LOVE, BLESSINGS AND FAITH...HIS+INSPIRATIONS
I love the idea of the arc of history. It is a mighty trend that chooses truth over lies. One of the classic examples was the view of the universe proclaimed by Aristotle. That we were on the back of a giant turtle and the center of the universe with the sun and heavenly bodies bodies circling us.
But we are social creatures, more akin to believe our tribe, our mentors, our rituals and our friends and relatives rather than the truth. Hence, some commonly known lies have persisted and grown thousands of years since the beginning of history when unknown anomalies were labeled as gods and whole mythologies rose up around them.
Ron