A year ago, I was not me.

But who then, have I come to be?

A year ago, I had the same name, voice, and face

I wore these same clothes and lived in the same place.

I have not gone through catastrophe,

Nor have I passed the year all too peacefully.

This year I learned about an elaborate art

The practice of lying, of duping, of farce.

It is a difficult thing to master

You have to be a dedicated crafter.

For should you forget a single thing you told

The whole tapestry will begin to unravel, unfold

It is a game of chess you can choose to start,

You play characters against each other, drive them apart

Or perhaps you protect yourself from a greater bad

You’re keeping yourself from being broken, torn, and sad

There are such things as noble lies within the craft

Not all are simply for the game, greed, and for laughs

But the worst lies are the ones that we make to ourselves

For without the truth, we do not know into what we delve

We may be mistaken about who we are, where we are walking

You won’t be sure if you’re right, if it’s the proper steps you are taking

A mistake so great can have consequences severe

You may end up ruined, dead, lost, broke, in tears

On the other hand there is the case,

That your life won’t be so hard to face.

Some lies we make to ourselves are small

In fact, they may not hurt us at all.

But other ones, though tiny at best

Can leave a stinging impression on others, on the rest

Should you believe that you are perfect and in thought sound,

But in reality you embody all that you criticize and hound

Aren’t you perpetuating the hate, prejudice, and -isms

That you condemn and speak about in criticism?

By lying to your own mind, you are sparking hate

Of believing that you are just and right you may make a mistake

2016 was not a year of complete acceptance and love

People were killed, others were teased, killed, held below and not above

Lying reigned and guilt was swallowed, regret was scarce.

Perhaps, and hopefully, in 2017, we forget the art of farce.

I shall surely try my best on my behalf, as this past year has made me

More aware of the lies I tell to both myself and those who surrounding be.

In 2016 I became a master of lies and a creator of falsities.

Only when lies stop and acceptance of truth reigns may we unite most beautifully