“Our lies reveal as much about us as our truths.” (J.M. Coetzee)
“Our lies reveal as much about us as our truths.” (J.M. Coetzee)
“But which is which?” (J.L. Lennon)
The white flame lies, lures
the moth’s moon dance, wings tracing
soft grey truths in air
Our lies reveal as much about us as our truths.
Know me by my clothes then. Re-creational layers over the truth of sag and shape, my clothes lie.
Or know me by my skin. Tidily containing the truth of ooze and stink, my skin lies.
Know me by my skull perhaps. Bone-cradling the truth of grey whorls of brain, keeping synapses from fritzing in the rain – under hair and under skin, even my skull is a cover-up.
Or know me by my words. My Hello as layered as an onion, my blue the colour of the wine-dark sea, my intention that morphs between lip and ear – my words tell tall tales.
The white moon is cold
as truth – moon dust never lies
downy on moths’ wings
(A haibun is a Japanese poetic form that combines prose and poetry, each looking at the same theme from a different slant.)
Wow, I love this illustration. Talk about black humour! Very interested to find out more about the haibun form too. Great collaboration.
Love this poem and image!
Brilliant interpretations – haibun is new to me but really interesting!
Beautiful poem, wonderfully supported by the artwork. Very impressed.