Catfishing

People love to lie because
They know it gives them power;
They use lies to seduce and
To entrap and to devour

They lead fake online lives
That stretch beyond mere pseudonyms;
And play out where the old are young
And where the “she’s” are “him’s”

And often, they’re convinced
The lies they tell are really true;
Or so important, it excuses
Everything they do

And lying’s so ubiquitous
It’s all of a degree
What constitutes a fraud
Or someone real (like you or me)

Or maybe we’re all liars
A distinctly human art
Just telling stories ’round the fire
Fabulists
At heart

=====

For a description of the phenomenon of “catfishing” look here.

The Lie That Sinketh In

[I would apologize to Francis Bacon for using his quote this way, but he was kind of a jerk. – Owen]


You want lies?
For I have many –
Some, I’ve not yet
Used at all –

Or is it
The truth you’re seeking?
Truth, that gray and
Solemn pall

That will cover
All that matters;
Shielding you from
Happiness —

Truth is,
I am just a liar:
Nothing more and
Nothing less


“It is not the lie that passeth through the mind, but the lie that sinketh in and settleth in it, that doth the hurt.” – Francis Bacon, “Essays, Civil and Moral”