Creative Truth

“What is truth?” the young man asked and all there paid him heed
“Is your truth just the same as mine, should we make it up as need?”
“I don't care” a youth replied “I don't think it's such a sin”
“To make up truth when needed, 'specially when it saves your skin”

A silence slowly settled, and the firelight cast its glow
Eyes followed sparks ascending as if they would help them know
Another said “I feel so bad, but do it all the time.”
“I tell these little stories, it's like, I have to spin the line”

A girl said “Hey! You've got it wrong, it's not just saving you”
“I'd think about the other person, they've got feelings too”
They all just looked and nodded for this cast of different light
They pretended that they knew it and their nodding made it right

The first guy sat and thought a while and nodded slowly too
“Hold up” he said, “I'm hearing, but not agreeing through and through”
They turned and looked with eyebrows raised, and query in their eyes
“It might be good for saving skins, but in the end it's lies”

“We know, we know, you silly man!” and laughter could be heard
“But creative truth sounds better; in the end they're all just words”
“But words have power don't you think? So please don't think me slow”
“We could be parents one day teaching our kids what to know”

The conversation ebbed and flowed and lingered in the dark
Someone poked the embers sending up a shower of sparks
The thought of being parents had them thinking hard and long
Thinking of the possibility where their kids did them wrong

“My parents taught me how to lie” a pimply youth exclaimed
They looked at him and said “No way!” And in turn he now explained
“Whenever salesmen came around, dad told me 'we're not in'”
“I said just what he told me, it felt right; it came from him”

A youngish girl with long black hair who had the quietest been
Said “I lie in desperation 'cause my parents are so mean”
“When I mess up they yell at me even though it's my mistake ”
“So now I take the heat off spin creative truths and fake”

“Now politicians are so skilled saying what we want to hear”
“They've made lying such an art form those that question them are queer”
A thoughtful look was in her eyes, she said “I'm really sure”
“If love ruled every one of us then lies would be no more”

Assenting murmurs rippled, firelight flickered in their eyes
Their thoughts moved on to other things they were all through with lies
The night wore on and dawn drew near the woes of earth were solved
Their private thoughts exposed again their consciences absolved