Truth Always Deserves Respect

although some truth,
as professed,
may not be infallible,
so must be tested, 
not once, but over and over.

Truth has few friends,
for some
is too severe a master,
whether man or boy,
and can be a surefire stomper on joy.

Yet, truth by others is treated
as a faithful friend,
justified and argued to the end,
even though, when tested,
proves out to be a lie.

Truth may also be non-verbal:
mathematics, art…
is received in a glance or a touch,
not requiring much,
but even so proved only by testing.

And, yet, it’s true:
truth is less defined by where you find it
than where truth finds you.