Sugar

It’s time for lies: this candour’s run its course,
With all its passion, love of truth, and steam.
The time has come for living in a dream,
For literary sonnets, drained of force.
Forget those endless sagas in Old Norse,
Inspiring speeches to the football team,
And good, strong coffee with a splash of cream,
No sugar. I want sugar, and remorse.

I will not say I’m sorry. Every day
You carp and moan, demanding honesty,
And up to now I’ve caved in, too gently,
But now it’s time for lies, I’ve got to say:
The subtlest, deepest, falsest turn away
From truth. Lights out now: I don’t want to see.