The Truth

What a beautiful bird! I said.
What a beautiful branch! you said.
What a beautiful bird
on a beautiful branch!
The observer from above said.

Only in the soul is the truth,
Not in deeds.
You told me... I told you...
You're lying... or perhaps you're mistaken...
No, you are... or aren't you?...

The word that left me
Is different from the one that reached you.
On the long journey of words
From one person to another
There are so many traps!
The traps of the heart,
The traps of the eyes,
The traps of the ears,
The traps of learned things,
The traps of experienced things
And forgotten,
The traps of things thought,
The traps of premises,
The traps of old conclusions,
The traps arising from confusions...
The traps of fears,
Of desires,
Of frustrations,
Of memories,
And even the traps
From inside words
And those hidden
In the poor knowledge of language
That we speak...
So I ask you, my love,
How could we have
The same truth,
If truth is, above all,
A matter of perspective!?

Truth is a person,
You replied.
Truth is love,
You replied.
And if there is no love,
We have no path,
No life,
No perspective,
No truth.

And you should also know that, however much you lie to me,
Before me there is no bird,
But only a branch
Truly beautiful!

Șerban Madgearu

From the volume "Drops of Death", "Paideia" Publishing House 2025