A Bid for Truth

When you're ready to know the truth
With not a moment to lose,
You may look down at your scraped hands
And recall long nights and days
Spent crawling in the dark fighting doubts,
Dodging poison and slander
Hurled from those that would keep your mind in repose and degeneracy.
Those leeches are not your true friends,
And neither can you have friends in your search for truth,
For who but an equal could be your companion?
But I fear there are none that could equal you,
So strange and complex a thing that you are,
Like a rare jewel,
Often even a stranger to yourself.

Look at any truth seeker,
Not a hobbyist, mind you!
I mean someone that has put in some significant time,
Like a hermit or philosopher,
Sacrificing sleep, sensual pleasure, friends, lovers, comfort,
All that would stand in their way!
The path to truth can not be taken lightly;
You can see that from the dark rings around their contemplative eyes
That comes from staring into myriad books and delving in arcane reflection.
Are you still willing to sacrifice everything?
Good, I thought so!

You've made it this far,
But you'll go no further
Until you cast off your prejudices and convictions,
Your fetters!
Such things will only hinder you;
You must have a free spirit when the time comes,
And be ready when the truth dawns.
It will be more likely to come to you;
You can only search for it imploring.

But in that greatest and most unsuspecting moment
Don't be surprised if you're disappointed by the truth's revelation.
Though you've sacrificed so much,
You mustn't even be surprised
If it courts you in the form of a jester,
Whispering into your ear that truth is only really
The greatest and most ancient of fabrications,
Conjured in the guise of dogma, social convenience, or lies to control,
As a kind of sturdy gate barring the way to what could be, 
to Untruth.

But truth a lie?
Than all is lies!
If the only truth is that there is no truth
Than it scarcely matters what you do.
At least you no longer fool yourself in this,
With your wild wisdom and blank canvases,
Create your own truth!
Or just as well embrace Untruth and have none at all.
In this bold new madness
Perhaps even eternity will laugh with you
Instead of always at you,
In this mysterious carnival existence.