August 11, 2014 Imaginary Gardens with Real Toads/The Better Lie

Prompt:  Lie You Could have Told Better

The Better Lie

OK you asked

Yes it was a lie

Or at least the truth softened

I didn’t want to say

I didn’t want to meet with you because

‘You can’t paint’

So I tried to soften it a bit

And I said we are at different levels

I don’t want to go to great effort

To meet with people who are behind me

Of course it is just my opinion

Just because you have a brush

Some paint

A canvas

Does not mean you can paint

Or can call yourself an artist

You have to do the work first

Let it stand on its’ own

Before you can claim that title

Still you said you wished I had said

‘The drive was too far’

If only I knew I could have told a better lie

I could have said ‘I died’ or

I was going to be sick on the day we were scheduled to meet

I couldn’t find my keys

My car wouldn’t start on that day

Any number of big fat lies

Could have been better than the lie I told

To lie is not an art I have cultivated

I would only lie to save your feelings

Save your face

Save your life

Otherwise when you hear me speak

It will be the truth

August 11, 2014

Note:  Sometimes the truth is just too hard to say.

Andy Warhol said it best when he quipped: “Donʼt think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if itʼs good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.”