I wasn’t going to write a poem today, but then I read Sacrificial Lamb by Michelle Ayon Navajas and her words had a big impact on me. I saw her poem was in response to a challenge posted on Reena Saxena’s blog and I decided I had to join in and share my view on the line: One Lie does not erase thousands of truths. You can join in Reena’s challenge here: https://reinventionsreena.wordpress.com/2023/07/27/reenas-xploration-challenge-290/
One lie
“One lie
Does not erase
Thousands of truths”
He purred
White teeth gleaming
In a wide, perfect smile.
When did he become
The Cheshire Cat?
Holding my heart
Squeezing it
Making it appear
And disappear
Distorting my reality
Driving me to madness.
His lie
Did erase a thousand truths
Were they truths?
How can I know?
One lie
Brings all
That passed before
Into question
Like his smile
Gone from charming
To insincere
His white teeth
Dental perfection
Distorted
Into cannibalism.
One lie
Does matter
It truly does
One lie
Destroys trust
Displaces belief
Rocks confidence
Disturbs harmony
Unsettles visions
Turns lifegiving water
To acid.
By Robbie Cheadle
roberta-writes.com 
Lies do matter–whether it’s one told to a person or a nation. I like the Cheshire Cat reference.
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Thank you, Merril. In my experience, lies always matter.
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You’re welcome. Yes.
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I have a whole (entirely mystical) relationship with the Cheshire cat.
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A most interesting post about the Cheshire Cat. The entire story and each character have fascinated me most of my life. I especially like the caterpillar.
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Funny about that. We JUST watched the Disney movie — on 16mm film — this evening and even in the Disney version, that caterpillar is … well … strange.
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And fascinating!
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I’m sure he was smoking something more entertaining than tobacco, too.
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That is the common belief
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I like the cannibalism-teeth connection. Awesome poem, Robbie!
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HibVera, thank you. I’m glad you liked that. I thought about those lines a bit before choosing the word cannibalism.
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These days it feels as if people have forgotten what truth IS. I find it rather frightening. How can you work with people who quite literally don’t understand truth as a concept?
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Hi Marilyn, I agree but that is the current work environment and it must also be the circumstances for those same people in their home environments. There is no understanding of ethics either.
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If you can’t grasp “truth,” you probably also don’t get “right and wrong.” It’s a troubling world we live in.
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Yes, it is
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Robbie – evocative and compelling.
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Hi Rebecca, I thought you would like this 🤗
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Robbie, this is excellent!! 💜
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Thank you, Colleen. I read Michelle’s poem and these words literally burst into my mind.
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He sounds like an absolutely horrible person to have to deal with.
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Thank you. He is a culmination of my impressions of current leaders in politics and commerce 💕
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Oh… Ew… Yeah… I think you captured them well.
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I wonder where this inspiration came from Robbie? Not a very nice fellow.
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Hi Wayne, this poem is a culmination of my recent impressions in politics and commerce. 🤗💕
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Ahh, I see.
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Great poem and very timely to my neck of the woods. 🙂 Paulette
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Hi Paulette, thank you. I think this is why this poem burst into my head. It is the culmination of everything I am seeing and hearing in the world right now.
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You wrote an extraordinarily powerful, interesting, jolting poem, Robbie. Wow!
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Hi Dave, thank you. I really appreciate your words 🤗💚
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I’m with you 100%. One lie is all it takes to destroy everything.
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Thank you, it’s like the proverbial house of cards.
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It is.
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A hard-hitting poem for a hard-hitting truth.
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Thank you, Liz. A most thought provoking prompt.
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You’re welcome, Robbie.
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Ouch
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Yes, but it’s true
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What a sad poem. “Turns lifegiving water To acid”–I’m writing about volcanic winter conditions in my current stories. Rain became acidic when filtered through volcanic emissions. How true your poem.
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That sounds fascinating, Jacqui! I can’t wait to read this book!
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Hi Jacqui, I didn’t know this but it does make sense to me. The water would absorb the minerals and chemicals in the rock. This was actually a reversal of Jesus turning water into wine, a counter miracle.
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What an interesting thought, Robbie. Hadn’t considered that side of it.
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Great poem. Powerful message.
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Thank you, Andrew 💕
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You’re welcome, Robbie.
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Your poem is fantastic, Robbie!
“One lie
Destroys trust
Displaces belief”
I can’t think of anything truer than that, nor more powerful. Your writing is something I always look forward to. 🌺
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Thank you, Kymber. I truly appreciate your words.
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you never cease to amaze me, Robbie – here you look so sweet lolol
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Thank you, da-AL. I remember one of my high school teachers saying, “you look like an angel but you have rusty wings and a black halo”. I never forgot those words.
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I hope she meant it kindly. For sure I did ♥️
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Thanks. I think some of my teachers found me a bit to forward. I have strong opinions and I always have had and I was never afraid either.
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♥️💪🏼plus you’re curious and open to discussion. what’s not to love?
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Thank you, da-AL. I am open to discussion and will see when I am wrong. My opinions are not cast in stone.
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As hard as it is, it’s true, Robbie! I’ve seen it again and again. One person lived a double life and lied for 30 years. It erased all the other “truths” of a hard worker, a good father and so forth. He lied and it was a big lie.
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Thank you, Miriam, for adding your thoughts and experience. Lies destroy relationships.
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You’re welcome, Robbie! Even if we discover one lie, who knows if other seemingly truths could be lies also.
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Yes, that is exactly right 🌷
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The moral of the story is… 💖
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Wow(standing ovation here) this is so beautiful and powerful at the same time. Bravo Robbie and thanks for the mention.
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It is my pleasure, Michelle. I couldn’t resist this prompt and I’m delighted you like it.
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It so so powerful and thought provoking.
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A great response to the prompt, Robbie like you I do not like lies …
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🤗🌷
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Absolutely! One lie overturns all truth.
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Sadly, it does. Thanks, Danny 💚
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Love turns to hate even when someone is smiling.
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It can, some smiles are fake or cruel.
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Insightful, Robbie. Gorgeous.
And then there’s that quote by that genius Filipino Journalist, Maria Ressa:
“So a lie told a millon times becomes the truth.
“…becomes a fact. Without facts, we can’t have truth. Without truth, we can’t have trust. If we don’t do anything substantial now, democracy as we know it is dead.” ~M. Ressa.
Thanks, Robbie. You made me think of this tonight. bless you for that. xoxo
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Hi Selma, thanks for adding this second fascinating quote. Also very true and very “1984”.
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That is an impressive poem, Robbie.
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Thank you, Jennie. I’m glad it resonates with you.
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You’re welcome, Robbie.
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The betrayal in your poem stabs at the heart, Robbie. It’s gut-wrenching. Beautifully written and profoundly true.
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HI Diana, thank you for your wonderful comment. Hugs.
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❤
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One lie can distort the deepest trust.
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Thank you, Jules
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Absolutely beautiful, Robbie! You are incredibly talented!
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Thank you, Donna. I really appreciate your comment.
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Robbie, thank you for an excellent poem!
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My pleasure, Charles. Sometimes poems just come, fully formed.
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Well done, Robbie! Your poem is so powerful, it takes my breath away.
Lies, lies of omission, all-out gaslighting… they do lasting harm.
Big hugs.
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Hi Teagan, they do a lot of harm. I am glad you appreciated this poem.
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Wow, this is a powerful poem, Robbie! I read what inspired it, and I’m feeling the same way. Great poem!
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Thank you, Lauren.
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Excellent Excellent Excellent poem
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Thank you, Bella 🤗🌷
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