Once upon a time, lived two beautiful dames,
Truth and Falsity were their names.
They shared everything, from a cake to a dream,
Vowing to be forever, friends supreme.
Alas! Promises are mostly made to be broken,
Falsity befriended unscrupulous men.
Under their tutelage very soon degraded,
Her love for Truth turning into hatred.
She became jealous of Truth, hating her pulchritude,
Her attire of compassion and graceful attitude.
Her scheming mind hatched a dishonest plot,
She’d abandon Truth in a lonesome island to rot.
‘Let’s go for a picnic on the yonder island,
just the two of us, it’d be lovely and grand.’
On the island, shedding their clothes and inhibition,
They swam naked in the ocean, shrieking in fun.
Challenging Truth to race her under water,
Falsity returned, collecting all she could gather.
Not sparing a thread, she left on the boat,
Ignoring Truth’s cry, pleading to take her aboard.
Bereft of clothing, naked Truth roams alone,
Waiting in eternity for her friend to come along.
Since then, men are wary of ‘naked truth’,
Avoiding it like an oozing fester uncouth.
Now, Falsity was abashed, struck by humility,
She could no longer face the world with dignity.
She draped a long hood and hid her face,
‘Naked Truth’ and ‘Falsehood’ never again met I guess!
(inspired by poet Kedar Bhaduri)
