Ruth Desjardins Fight for Truth
You tell me the world is irrational;
You tell me you have to get by;
You say the truth is unwanted;
And so you prefer to lie.
You tell me they’ll call you a dreamer;
And that they’ll laugh at you;
They’re sure to get angry…
Or offer a bribe…
And so you do what they do.
I understand now how it happens;
I’m hearing at last what you say–
What you’ve done is create a double life;
You think you can have it both ways.
When you’re playing their games along with them,
Can you be any better than they?
If you call them nothing but crooks or fools–
Have you been any better today?
You tell me that this irrational world
Must earn your honesty.
And seeking your own kind of justice,
You refuse to let them see.
You believe they are waiting to hurt you;
I know that in this you are right;
And so I can’t always blame you
If you don’t take a stand and fight.
But I see through this kind of thinking–
This is how evil wins:
When a good man refuses to tell the truth,
The evil marches in.
Then everyone lives with the lying,
And everyone shares the shame,
But don’t you ask who is spoiling the world–
Admit you share the blame.
Still, you say you will take your chances,
You’re not afraid of the cost;
But the world has not yet shown you
It’s the soul of a man that is lost.
Little by little life robs you
Of courage and dignity
As time after you deny the truth
And betray your honesty.
Till someday you’re just like the others,
Wanting to live in both worlds,
The games have become so easy to play,
The truth hard to put into words.
You’ll pretend to yourself that you’re not so bad,
That you’re really a gentle soul,
But you’ll avoid your own eyes in the mirror,
And your life will lack a goal.
So before it’s too late take your courage,
Admit that you’re really afraid,
But don’t let yourself be a coward
When the sum of your life is weighed.
Understand there’s an effort in living.
And difficult choices to make–
Will you live the truth or play a game?
Earn pride for yourself or disgrace?
You say you’re a man of principle.
You know what’s right and wrong.
But principles will be tested.
And people have to be strong.
The test is in the doing–
The personal choices each day:
Will you stand for right?
Will you fight for good?
Will the price be to hige to pay?
There will always be many issues to fight,
And although you can’t fight them all,
While you save your strength for the big ones,
You can practise on the small.
And you’ll learn the wonder of earning your pride,
If it hurts, you’ll learn you can take it.
You’ll find they can’t hurt you as much as you thought,
As you fight for your truth and you make it.
1978
