A lie may vary, change colours
From one day to another
From one season to another
From discomfort to transient comfort

But the truth. Ah! The truth
The only one that remains rock solid
Unchanged through the times
Unaltered from its original flavour

Travelling seamlessly through time
Nesting firmly in limitless space
Appearing when least expected
Sublime, unperturbed, undiluted

And yet we prefer to resort to lies
Of various shades and character
Inventing dozens, multitudes, each day
To keep up appearances, pretences

For every lie you utter
Your mind rationalises instantly
Only to later sow seeds of doubt
Egged on by your wavering heart

To cover one bitter truth
Really short and sweet
You require an ocean of lies
Long and so terribly winded

Yet, can truth exist in isolation
Without the veiled shroud of lies
For how do you define goodness
Without the existence of vice

Subir Chakraborty / 19th Aug 2019