The Truth About Monsters (Glosa)

The Truth About Monsters
02-04-18

"Tell all the truth but tell it slant —
Success in Circuit lies.
Too bright for our infirm Delight,
The Truth's superb surprise."

From: Tell all the Truth but Tell it Slant by Emily Dickinson (1263)

When faced with choice of: truth or lie?
What's better than the truth, or such
A small piece of it, too little to cry
Over, or cause tears or pain that lingers, much.
It's 'truth or lie', not 'truth or dare',
That haunts the brain with a melodious chant.
To dare to tell the truth shows you care,
Though some may not linger once they're there,
As a 'white lie' is still a lie no matter the font;
Tell all the truth but tell it slant.

A slant truth is neither lie, nor white,
But merely a shade; a darker tone.
For the whole truth oft' brings with it fright,
And fear leads one to hide at home.
Paranoia abounds where fear's footsteps tread.
Fear's a Frankenstein that brings about harsh cries
Of pain or anguish, for this dread
Settles deep. Like a virgin lying on a bed;
Truth stains life's sheets with scarlet sighs;
Success in Circuit lies.

Sometimes the truth can hurt, it cleaves
The meat from bone, fiction from fact.
It sears the skin, and never leaves
One whole again; that's its main act.
Truth stabs much deeper than a knife knows how,
Bites harder than a vampire poised for flight.
What is one to do – do you see it now?
Like puppets, we are forced to bow
To the monster master it is – it's might
Too bright for our infirm Delight.

Vampires are weakened by the sun,
Frankenstein, well, his brain was weak.
To kill a were, use a silver bullet, one
Is all it takes – all monsters seek
To eradicate those who do not understand,
Those who look truth in the eyes
And batter it with fisted hands,
Or make a mockery of a twisted man –
Revealed as a man, despite his size –
The Truth's superb surprise.