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North East Bylines
Home Culture Fun!

Poetry: Denial

A poem describing denial

Peter Sagar by Peter Sagar
07-09-2025 08:30
in Fun!, Poetry
Reading Time: 1 min read
A A
Man covering his face with his hand. Photo by Nicolás Flor on Unsplash

Man covering his face with his hand. Photo by Nicolás Flor on Unsplash

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I lurk quietly just below the surface
Like Malevolent methane under Tundra
Then I creep stealthily over your soul
With promises of riches and status
Until you can no longer tell                                                                                                                    
Black from white, or wrong from right 
                                                                                             
And you learn how to lie with a straight face                
To people who wish you no harm
     
As your eyes shift around uneasily
 Because you don’t want people to see  
Your secret part in the great crime                                                                                                                   
So you smile like a hungry snake 
      
I can keep hold of you for so long                                                                                                                       
While you do the deadly bidding
For the billionaire criminals                                                                                                               
From far away, across the sea
And I convince you that you are doing right                                                                                       
And yes, that black is really white
                                                                                                                                                                                    
But truth chips away at me bit by bit                                                                                                 
 And always conquers in the end


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Tags: DenialGuiltManipulationPoetryRegret
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Peter Sagar

Peter Sagar

Peter is a teacher, writer and historian who has also been active in human rights work for 35 years. He is particularly interested in how our great human rights history in the North East can help us to be both inspired and enlightened and enable us to face up to the challenges we face today. These challenges include defending the human rights of all people in the region and the country and dealing with the existential crisis that is climate change

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