Elizabeth Barrette (ysabetwordsmith) wrote,
Elizabeth Barrette
ysabetwordsmith
  • Mood: busy

Poem: "False Papers, True Words"

This poem is the freebie for the July 2013 Torn World Muse Fusion.  It was inspired by a prompt from Ellen Million.


"False Papers, True Words"

[1520.04.12]

You got used to thinking
of Licensing Inspectors
as people whose attention
you did not want to attract.

Drellin had felt that way especially
since his employer forced him
to falsify paperwork for forgeries.
With his twisted foot, he was
lucky to have any job at all,
and couldn't risk losing it.

Yet it was Licensing Inspector Katorsh
who ferreted out the truth of the matter
at the Historic Haberdashery Museum,
disposed of Curator Gruffalo,
let Drellin cry on his shoulder,
assured him that he was just as worthy
as any other citizen in the Empire,
then found him a new job
identifying tampered licenses

and never said a frassy thing
about Drellin's frassy foot,
which was the most comforting act of all.

Sometimes, you learned that you'd been wrong
and you were grateful for the lesson.

Tags: cyberfunded creativity, poem, poetry, reading, torn world, writing
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  • 2 comments
technoshaman

technoshaman

July 26 2013, 23:47:47 UTC 7 years ago

*smiles* now that's a way to end a Friday.
ysabetwordsmith

Thank you!

ysabetwordsmith

July 27 2013, 00:15:29 UTC 7 years ago

I'm glad you liked this.