I Read And Write Therefore I Am

Many who claim to 'be victims' in public
have to be careful when making their claim:
they make sure their account seems credible
enough to nullify accusations of slight of word
before any such public slights can be made.

This makes 'the victim' shape the facts
into a taut tautology that, unawares,
becomes a tick box exercise, where the aim
is to miss cliché by a whisker by reminding
the reader of how familiar the familiar is.

Many a rich story starts with an unintended lie
that writer did not recognise it as when they wrote it.
When it becomes the foundation of what is clearly true,
this creates a dilemma that is impossible to undo.
When this applies the well written books by new authors 
lawyers help the publisher to devise a legal sophistry
that smooths over the awkward lie the author's story rest on.

In every life, people live with levels of sophistry
that if they were individually tested and examined
would resist the invitation to honest self examination
-which would only reflect poorly upon them.

So long live true life stories built on lies
-they not only entertain us but they are
the shorthand that we rely on to get by.