Lies

A lie, in order to survive, needs these:
self-hate, a thousand lying bedfellows,
an inexhaustible desire to please,
and a dark well of bottomless sorrows.

A lie, in order to thrive, needs just this:
distrait gullibility from others.

Lies are born from fear, truth from fearlessness,
truth by nature reveals, a lie smothers.

A lie, in order to connive, needs give
real illusion of truth most ample.

Truth is direct, a lie is evasive,
a lie is complicated, truth simple.

Lies, in disorder to contrive, shanghais
possibility for honest replies.