The lawyer for the opposition
Approached the dock,
The one that sat there
He clearly intended to mock.
“State your name for the jury,”
He said with great disdain,
“And if it’s the truth you are speaking
Do kindly refrain.”
The judge on the bench
Laughed the loudest of all
To which the defendant shook his head
And then said with a drawl…
“I am Truth,” he said,
To the annoyance of the court.
“It appears you are a clown,”
Was the judge’s retort.
“I can hold you in contempt,”
He smugly replied.
“That I am the power in my court
Cannot be denied.
So, just state your name,
I don’t care what you do,
Or you won’t even know who you are
When all this is through.”
“Tell us your name,”
The opposing attorney said again,
To which the defendant replied,
Clearly under no strain…
“I am Truth,”
The defendant said once more,
“I am my name,
No need to get sore.
There was a time
When truth was recognized
But since you changed your laws
Truth has been denied.
You are not the first,
That Roman Governor was before:
Pilate was his name,
Need I say more?
Then Truth was crucified,
Ignorance reign supreme
And today the only difference is,
It is greater esteemed.”
“I am in charge here!”
Screamed the irritated judge,
“You will answer to what’s asked,
And don’t you dare budge!
“Continue, my colleague,”
He said to the opposing attorney,
“And do what you can, my friend
To shorten this journey.”
“Thank you, your honour,
I will see what I can do
To bring this matter to a finish
And give Truth his due.”
With this there was a snigger
All across the courtroom,
Whatever his name was
Would soon be doomed.
In the court of public opinion
Stood the defender of truth!
He himself was his only defense
He himself was his proof!
In a courtroom of lies
And full of dumb falsity
The truth is being relegated
To one of the many.
There is no absolute truth,
Just your truth and mine
And pretty soon, I would imagine,
Real truth would be unkind.
In fact, it already is
According to the law courts
And what used to be considered funny
Is no longer sport.
Truth has been sacrificed
On the altar of public opinion
And all of its staunch supporters
Are considered of the rebellion.
The battleground is defined:
It is the human mind
And from the garden of Eden
It was all that time.
Truth versus all else
That is, all except the truth,
And no exception to that rule
Even if there is proof.
A minority ruling
With the majority displaced
And the majority becoming the minority-
Oh, what a disgrace!
The new truth has come
That can be molded to everyone!
Live out the truth you feel
Now the old truth has gone!
Gender via genitals!
That is no longer the score!
Who says there are only two genders
When there are infinitely more?
It doesn’t have to be natural
Or even feel-so
As long as it is what I want
I can have a go.
And if at any time afterwards
I want to change back,
I am free to pull on my lever
And simply change track.
I can be male or a female
Whenever I feel
And this should be my right
Given my sex appeal.
Let the children decide too
But let the parents beware
What their penalty would be
If they dare interfere.
And if I feel like howling
Let me be a wolf
Or if bloodsucking be my craze
I can be a louse.
With this before us
Let us return to the courtroom
Where even though it is daytime
There is impending doom.
Impending doom because
Truth is on trial
And judge, jury and attorneys
Are in stark denial.
“So, your name is truth
And you are truth?
And all of us here are to believe
That you are the only proof?”
“Search your heart
If in deed you still have one
And you will surely discover
How you were born.
There is a woman and a man
That must have procreated
Or an egg and sperm
From which you migrated.
That is the truth
Of how you came to be
And I dare say even in your distorted mind
That truth you can see.
To abandon the truth
Is to jettison human life
Which requires a male and female;
More ideally, a man and his wife.
From this moment on
I will let you have your say,
In any case you will mute the truth
Beginning from today.
For truth is the light
That exposes all evil deeds
And no doubt you won’t want that
Given your vices and greed.”
The last words of Truth
And thereafter nary a word,
It was now up to judge and jury
Given all they had heard.
The verdict was swift
As is so often these days
Particularly when dealing with matters
Over which Truth holds sway.
The attorney closed his case
And then the judge summed up,
The jury retired thereafter
To determine Truth’s cup.
In less than five minutes
They were back in the courtroom
Unanimously agreeing
On what was to be Truth’s doom.
“What is your verdict?”
Ask the judge of the foreman
And at the foreman’s response
Only one was solemn.
“Guilty as charged,”
Came the jury foreman’s reply
As Truth wiped a saline liquid
Away from his eye.
This was the poisoned venom
Of the serpent’s kiss,
Truth was now condemned
To both legend and myth.
All that was needed now
Was for the sentenced to be read
And no doubt for these legal luminaries
Truth will be soon dead.
And so, the judge announced
To rapturous applause
“No more truth in our courtroom
And no more God!
From here it is gladiatorial war
And the best man wins,
Now there is no absolute truth
To judge immorality and sin.
You can now live as you like
But you must win every fight
And bear in mind my comrades,
That means might is your right.
Also remember the maxim,
“Be careful what you wish for”
For this day you have got it;
It is now all out war!
Truth on the chopping block
Means life denigrated,
If I live for only me,
You are not appreciated.
Stewart Russell © November 5, 2022
