scales of sincerity

many start at sneer and move through smirk to skept to slow-and-subtle nod. where they differ’s in their top; some go all the way to said while slept, others stop at merely swear to god. a tryst is rarely trusted, but in truth it trumps a truce. when listing those for whom you’ve lusted, it’s lilt that lets the lump in larynx loose. there are some who debate the relative weight of a stutter compared with a stare; a simple solution’s this dreamer’s dilution: you can count on whichever’s more rare. blushing is preferred to bleeding. monotones can be misleading. words to avoid: demand, obvious, convince, definite, final—they speak of a species of spirit more spiteful than spinal. a very old system has it that the frightened make good friends. a new one maintains that neutral’s no middle, but belongs instead to both ends. above all, be watchful for when brooding breaks by blindsideswipes of blames once believed to be left behind (you’ll know them by the blinking); since ere is before, they’ll be forces in serious slinking, and tell you quite well what numbers and names the thin skin within may be thinking.