A Ledge and Alleged

 

 

What have these in common

And how are they set apart?

Let’s go to the very beginning,

It’s a very good place to start.

 

All the letters you find in one

You will also find in the other

But if you should number them

That’s a different matter.

 

Allegations and alligators

Lies and crocodiles,

An infestation of reptilian distortions

Operating under disguise.

 

 

Now for some definitions

Of the two terms we started with

And hopefully along the way

You will catch my drift.

 

Uncertain of his information

He used the term “alleged”,

He feared a lawsuit was beckoning

And he was out on “a ledge”.

 

It’s not the safest of places

With little or no protection,

And if it is five or six stories high…

Just use your imagination.

 

What a height from which to fall!

That’s a long, long way down,

Not enough time to change one’s mind

By the time he hits the ground.

 

 

Alleged is a serious business

And fraught with serious risks,

So too are unfounded allegations

Shrouded in illusory mist.

 

He alleged and she alleged-

An attempt to mirror the truth

But what’s concealed in the cellar

Will show up on the roof.

 

What more can I say

About these two sound alike terms?

It’s like, if one plays with fire,

One is likely to be burned.

 

 

The moral of this poem is:

Some ledges are not safe

And alleged if used in a court of law

May require more than faith.

 

On this I rest my case

Regarding “a ledge” and “alleged”,

You see, I am very afraid of heights

And can’t see behind a hedge.

 

It’s wise to use wisdom

Before employing one’s tongue,

Your “alleged” might be “a ledge”

Way high up from the ground.

 

Stewart Russell © February 23, 2024