Who Do You Trust? Poem by Bill Upton

I get fooled occasionally
By trusting against my better judgment,
Thinking that others will always do the right thing.
It's not even disappointing anymore
When a man's word no longer is worth the anguish
Spent over seeing it broken.
Promises are reneged upon at the drop of a distraction.
'Something came up', 'I changed my mind', 'I forgot'-
All empty excuses, all unacceptable.
I have learned to be silent until I am certain
My word will be my bond instead of a misleading utterance
Of an incomplete or indecisive truth.
Excuses are imaginary,
Reliability is real.
Keep them separate-
They are not teammates.