Never Tell A Lie

Contest Entry

Never Tell A Lie

“Never tell a lie,” she said,
When I was just a child.
“It is wrong, don’t do it.”
Then she softly smiled.

And, as a child, I listened,
Intent on every word.
But her actions failed to show me
The things that I had heard.

Her list of “don’ts” was lengthy.
Don’t cheat, don’t ever steal,
Honor your mom and daddy
In what you say and feel.

Always do the right thing
And never do the wrong.
I will hear her words forever
Like the verses in a song.

Being a good example
Speaks louder than a voice.
Words are poor defenses
When you’re faced with blatant choice.

No paradigm of virtue
Did she exemplify to me
But a paragon of verbage
Telling how that it should be.

Oh, how I should have heeded
The words that she once said.
But I followed in her footsteps;
Chose her lifestyle instead.

I lied, I stole, I cheated—
Walked the paved road into Hell.
I broke every rule existing
And in prison I’ll dwell.

I wish that I had listened
And not heeded what I saw
Then, I would be a free man
With no trouble from the law.