Honsety! Honestly?

Honesty is but a passing fancy.
No one takes it seriously unless
It works to their advantage,
Then is morphs to paramount.
 
Flags are waived and banners carried
Urging, begging for the truth.
But whose truth do the masses seek?
Whose reality will count?
 
Targets move and facts evolve as
Envy struts and flexes strong to
Muddy waters once pristine and
Bait the tongue with viscous pique.
 
But vision sharpens by degree and
Heralds shout in loud decree
The treasures born in honesty
Are like a finger in the dike.
 
And where will you in purpose be
When life relies on honesty?
 
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Consequences

Actions all have consequences,
Good – Bad – Sometimes tragic.
There is no magic potion, salve or lotion
To relieve the pain. 
No shelter from the pouring rain.
No medicine to numb the senses.
 
All that anyone can hope is
Enough rope to span the gap.
Perhaps a map or some direction
To belay confusion, 
A simple common sense infusion.
Anything to calm and cope.
 
It helps to trade in honesty
Where murky roads abound.
When all around confusion stabs
The unrepentant sinners mind and
The elements wake up to find us
On the brink of destiny.
 
Accept the verdict,
Reconcile.
A hero walks the extra mile.
 
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Blink First

Conflicts cloaked in controversy.
Hard to know who’s right, who’s wrong,
But each is firm and both stand strong to
Plead their cases stridently.
 
Assertions flail on serpent’s rattle.
Bile and venom, spit and spew
Corrupt the wicked witches brew to
Bait bold rivals into battle.
 
Boundaries fade to shades of night
As parlay edges to debate
While simple reason hesitates and
No one steps into the light.
 
Eyes in lock –
            Tic toc
            Tic toc.
Watch the clock.
            Tic tic
            Toc toc.
 
There is no right.
            There is no wrong.
There are no choices, best or worst.
And who will sing the victor’s song?
The short and long is
            Who blinks first.

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Silence

Nothing nurturing to say…
            Silence.
Tactless truths educe dismay…
            Silence.
Cherished secrets stored away
            In silence.
Soothing sleep at end of day…
            Silence.
 
Poets rest a measured phrase
            In silence.
On bended knee we humbly pray
            In silence.
Soldiers listen and obey
Wordlessly, without delay.
And daylight lifts the gloom of gray
            In silence.
 
And when our race is finally o’er
We scale the stairs to Heaven’s door
            In silence.

 

Secrets

Secrets walk the silent side
Of yes and no.
            They can’t abide the light of day.
They come and go
            In stressful tones the tunesmith blows
Until the rain comes out to play.
 
Whispers leave no telltale signs
On petals soft
            To bide their time whilst angels wing
And lost souls climb
            On lofty heights to sing sublime
Where “nothings” turn to “everythings”.
 
And you and I are witness fair
To whispered secrets
            Living where no footsteps fall
To spoil the sands
            As conscience holds the upper hand
And none succeed to scale her wall.
 
Bury whispered secrets deep
And pray you don’t talk in your sleep.

 

Cheaters

Hiding behind steely black raccoon eyes while
Employing the sly stealth of slinking red foxes,
You slither through tall grass seeking a quarry
Who you might manipulate, bait and devour.
 
Seeking that tinted edge layered with lies all
Tied up with ribbons in pretty pink boxes,
No caution or conscience, no time to be sorry.
Just sky-high ambitions with visions of power.
 
Bend a rule here.
Hedge a bet there.
“Hey! Look over yonder. “
"Honest! I swear! “
“You know you can trust me.
Would I lie to you? “
“Pay you back double in a day –
Maybe two.“
 
Approach all with caution
This carnival booth.
Cheaters abound here,
            Immune to the truth.