"Honestly ..."
"If I'm being honest ..."
"To be honest ..."
I can do without all your qualifiers
Your ... sincerity signalling
Because
If I am to be honest with you
When you don't use those phrases
It means
What you're saying cannot be true
Shame on you!
The word “honest” always reminds me of Honesty by Billy Joel. A song I love so much. The chorus alone says everything. (Maybe I’ll write another poem to incorporate that somehow.)
🎶
Honesty is such a lonely word
Everyone is so untrue
Honesty is hardly ever heard
And mostly what I need from you🎶
© 2025 Samantha Williams. All Rights Reserved.
9 Comments
If you say you are honest, it is not a good sign….
That’s a coincidence, Sam! I was going to include a video of ‘Honesty’. I like the list of qualifiers, which are on my list of pet hates. An honest quadrille indeed. And I agree with the Glover Gardens Kim that about the social commentary being a bit uncomfortable, but it’s so effective.
Thank you! Yeah. Those qualifiers drive me crazy. 😊
Good point.
Thank you! 🙏
Oh! The social commentary here is real and perhaps a bit uncomfortable… but what else is poetry for if not to expose realism and even hypocrisy?
Exactly! Thank you! 😊
‘sincerity signalling’! An excellent new phrase!
Thank you! 😊