The Essence Of Story

The Essence Of Story

                     “God made man because he loves stories.”  --Elie Wiesel

We all tell them

even when our mothers

warned us only the Devil

tells stories and the truth

is best in all situations,

will always protect us

in the end. The end in those days

being usually at the end of her

patience. Still, I began to notice

if you were to be fully loved

a certain amount of storytelling

was absolutely necessary. Like the

time burglars broke into my bedroom

and peed in my bed to my blameless

horror. And apparently peed too in your

pajamas, pointed out my mother. 

Yes, I quickly revised my story,

they made me take off my pajamas 

to search for hidden gold and jewels

and when they didn't find any

they got angry and also peed on my pj's.

Needless to say, my mother laughed

at this well-crafted story. Which made me forever

see the value of taut revision. Especially

in a story laced with any kind of potential

tragedy. For I then told her they wanted

to kidnap me for ransom but decided

in the end because I was loved so much

this would be a crime for which

they could never be forgiven.

I have since told stories even to the Devil

on occasion, and while actually few have 

been accounted as truth by him

he has been so tickled by my honed 

inventions he shakes with laughter every time.

All these years later I am still correcting my story.