Lies

Lies do not come in a cape,
or with flashes of smoke.

They come smiling,
dressed plainly,
with open hands,
offering explanations.

Lies rarely come suddenly.
They do not stand tall and alone
but neither are they huddled underground --
they are in the thick of the crowd,
indistinguishable.

Lies never travel in a straight line;
they are not always interested in the quickest distance.
Lies always have time on their side,
not because the world disdains truth,
but because we forget more than we learn.

A discovered lie is not a defeated lie,
and a lie can live forever if it is not completely defeated.
A discovered lie can still rule
by force, by persuasion, by persistence,
by convincing us that truth
is too difficult,
or doesn't matter that much.
And destiny has declared,
so far,
that lies usually win.

Truth alone cannot defeat a lie,
because lies are usually more patient than truth.

So truth is not enough.
We must also fight,
across countless generations,
we must also fight.