Roses are red
Violets are blue.
But roses are white
and yellow too
and violets are more
of a purple-ish hue
which inaccuracy only
goes to prove
that a poet’s no botanist
and if they must choose
twixt rhyming a word
and telling the truth
the rhyme wins.
#203
They say “we must learn from history”,
but what is history but the victory song
the minstrel sings to placate a new king
and gain a coin or two?
What is history but the ancient twittering
of vested interests?
Has it ever been possible to report without bias?
Has the manipulation of truth been the means
by which our evolution has been steered to this end?
Were hunting stories daubed onto cave walls accurate
or were they padding their count?
They also say “the truth will out.”
But perhaps the only thing we can trust
humanity to do consistently
is to lie to achieve cherished outcomes.
Single humans may be noble where
humanity seldom is.
#89
Listen and the world
will whisper truth in your ear.
Truth sings in our hearts.
Observe and the world
will show you truth in small things.
Truth walks along side.
Breathe in and the world
exhales truth in every breeze.
Truth perfumes the air.
Swallow and the world
will fill you with truth’s sweetness.
Truth will sustain you.
Reach out and the world
will stand still and wait for you.
Truth will touch you back.
#46
Some things are other things
than what we may have thought,
like mushrooms that are edible versus
mushrooms that are not.
or caraway seeds scattered
on your kitchen table
that though surrounded by the crumbs
may not be from your bagel.
And if that isn’t quite enough,
even unseen things are fraught
with that which masquerades
as that which it is not.
Words of love can hide disdain
while laughter hides the tears,
truth is often shot with lies,
and not as it appears.
Say you love me, laugh with me,
and don’t go in disguise.
I’d rather eat dubious caraway
than have you tell me lies.
#223
Truth is sometimes found
at the bottom of a glass
of apple cider,
where secrets bubble
to the surface and escape
to become desires.
and sensible plans
must defer to the longings
and dreams of the soul.
#162
The plain and simple truth is truth is rarely plain or simple
No matter how much irony’s applied there’s still a wrinkle,
or two or three you trip on
that make you lose your grip on
reality and stumble
into the roaring jumble
of all the skewed parameters we use to make truth fit
and the ones that we forget or quite advertently omit.
#145
My CD "New Traditions" is available for listening or digital download
My CD "Breathe" is available to listen to or for digital download
Linda Studley is a writer, songwriter, independent recording artist, and sometime graphic artist living in Northern BC, Canada
Linda Studley 