The Truthsayer

Read the poem through, then read the words in parenthesis.

The truth –

The especially exonerative,

            Restorative, consolidative truth –

Was always taken

From his mouth –

No t(his)tled words

With false pretenses

Were ever allowed.

Sometimes this attitude

Would pro(life)rate and

Others would begin to follow his

Example of carefully and

Regretfully stating the startling

Truth at all times.

Oh, he never let

A self-denying word slip

From his tongue, though phrases

Of existentialism frequently

Flew alongside his the(is)t thoughts.

He was especially skilled in letting both

His logic and his emotion run the play –

            The former worked on the show,

                        Preparing the script and creating the people,

            While the latter stole the attention     

                        Of the people by storming the stage in the limelight –

So he managed to

Be both coolly reasonable

And flamboy(a)ntly enthusiastic

In the same moment.

Everyone followed him –

            Beginning with his words,     

                        Which they quoted frequently                       

                        Until they thought they understood,

            And falling into his actions,

                        Which were a bit harder to copy,

                        Since they implied a change in living –

Until he was the most widely

Be(lie)ved person around,

As well as the most misunderstood.

Reviews

[Chuck]

This is fantastic, you have to be an incredibly talented writer to be able to write like this. I love poems that you can analyze to death, and find new and wonderful things in. So thanks for making my evening..!
-Chuck

[Jacob Stinnett {Broken ..]

I am interested in who this "he" is. Is he a purely fictional character, or does he have some basis in reality?