No Place to Hide

​Does speaking only the truth mean
I leave myself no place to hide?
 
Those convenient “white lies” used to
Create space –
To add comfort –
To hide what I really want to say.
 
I miss them, those deft social dodges and the convenience they bring.
 
Life seems so much harder in this land where
yes means yes, and no means no and there is no easy in between.
 
Isn’t life in the in between?  Between you and me.
Between your wants and my needs.  Between hiding
my truth and cushioning your harm.
 
Perhaps the answer is simple enough.
I must learn to say no with a yes in my heart.