Consequences Are Dealt

Instead of talking, confused stares surveyed
the lot, eye brows caved into the slope of
a nose growing...away...

"I'm not who you think I am! This is only a
mere shell! The real me cannot be seen or
felt by touching! Don't! Don't...
touch...me..."

Instead of listening, hands stretched out,
expecting to catch the liar in their grasp,
some pulled, some scratched...He cried out,
"Don't! Don't...touch...me! What you see
and feel will deceive you!"

Yet the nose grew, in his disbelief, and their
sights agreed, "he is guilty, a living lie! Let's
teach him a lesson, cast this demon aside!"

So they held and chopped, chopped and pulled,
removing the lie, as fast as they could. It felt
right, seemed like the only thing to do. "Those
who look guilty and sound guilty too, deserve
to be removed, consequences are dealt."

That night, there was a rumble, a commotion by
the pile. The wood was higher, for the liar
was stacked. As a crowd grew, staring in disbelief,
his mouth didn't move, yet they heard him speak.

"I'm not who you think I am! This is a mere shell!
The real me can't be seen or felt by touching me!"

Confused...the town's people turned and tried to
speak and condemn, but their voices were never
heard, not even a whim. They reached out to console
one another and felt nothing. Tears bursting from
their eyes, silent cries muffled in silence, he spoke
once again atop of the stack...and vanished,

"Those who look guilty and sound guilty too,
deserve to be removed, consequences are dealt."