On what occasion do you lie? (a poem)

Based on the Proust questionnaire, as presented in a Writers Write blog post.

1
I prefer to pretend

Lying is intentional—
sometimes cruel

2
Pretending is optimistic
a daydream enacted on the outside
as a transient reality

You cannot say in the moment
that you are not what you pretend to be

That would be lying
That would be cruel

3
Pretending is optimistic
a certainty of being
trusting in potential

You cannot say in the moment
that what you are pretending to do is not possible

That might not necessarily be lying
(which would be cruel)
but failing to recognise possibility

4
I am often not very good
at pretending

But I’m getting better at it

(5 July 2019)

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