Not lying outright
is far from the truth
Hesitance vacuous
barren of fruit
What never gets said
deceitfulness hides
Stalking and preying
while buried inside
The pulpit a soapbox
lectern a mask
Pontification
deceptions bombast
Wittingly fervent
the devil subverts
False implication
—the ultimate hurt
(Dreamsleep: February, 2023)