Not lying outright
is far from the truth
Hesitance vacuous
barren of fruit

What never gets said
deceitfulness hides
Stalking and preying
while buried inside

The pulpit a soapbox
lectern a mask
Pontification
deceptions bombast

Wittingly fervent
the devil subverts
False implication
—the ultimate hurt

(Dreamsleep: February, 2023)