THE QUESTION


He asked me a question
I didn’t want to answer
I believe in honesty
But I need some privacy

It was the same question
They all ask it
Men and women
So I say it’s a long story

Some let that pass
Others seem to know
Somewhere deep inside
But I am secretive

Some things are better unsaid
People can take it the wrong way
Then they are lost to me
That may be better

Still a word can chase them away
How do you explain
What can only be felt
Words die and fade

The memory stays with them
And they ask again
I spend some time weighing
To tell or not

Will they be understanding
Or run
I never know
I have heard the truth will set you free

Where is freedom
When you are alone
Frightened children
Pretending to be adults

Lost souls
In search of a truth
They will never have
The question is the search

So I answer
And wait
A long pause
A drama unresolved


Michael V Hechtman