Tell Me The Truth Poem by Qiniso Mogale

Tell me not what I wish to hear
Tell me not what I want to hear
Tell me not what I need to hear
Tell me not what will excite me
Tell me not what will give me false hope
Do not endear yourself to me with lies
Do not love me with untruths
Tell me the truth no matter how bitter
Tell me the truth no matter how unpalatable
Tell me the truth no matter how much it hurts
It is the truth that shall set me free.

The world is in a mess because of the failure
to tell the truth
The world is decaying because many refuse
to tell the truth
Great empires have crumbled because the
people shunned the truth
A lot of marriages end in divorce because
couples don't tell each other the truth
Kings and presidents fall because
they detest the truth
Please tell me the truth no matter how bitter.

Pastors are leading their congregations to hell
because they do not tell them the truth
Many children are in prison because their parents
failed to tell them the truth
Tell the truth no matter how unpalatable
Tell the truth no matter how bitter
Tell the truth no matter how unpopular it is
Tell the truth and shame the devil.