No More Cat Poem by James Mills

We agonised. We argued over what to say.
Should, could we, burden them with truth?
Or lie, and say it ran away.
That way lies peace, for us.
Honesty makes liars of us.
'She was ours forever, ' they'd say,
'You told us she had nine lives.'

Own up. Point out too soon what's what
and a thief joins the list.
Steal their wonderment and our
punishment will be
to be forever albatrossed.
Mislead, and the need served is ours.
Compromise is lies - for only truth is truth.

Let it drip slow, creep up.
No need yet for undiluted gospel,
they have no need.
No harm to say what they want to hear -
not...lies or truth, but what is right.

We've often told the truth.
Believe me.