No, I’m not a lie detector
But can tell without much trying
When a politician’s speaking
It’s a good chance that they’re lying
Some will ask us for forgiveness
In our judgments, to be lenient
For it’s hard to be forthcoming
When the truth is inconvenient
And today it’s clear and common
In a politician’s biz
That the truth can be quite awful
And it very often is
Thus a confident assertion
Is beyond all jurisdiction
What you say is seen as truthful
If you say it with conviction
And a falsehood is strategic
So successful you can’t beat it
For a lie becomes less heinous
With the more times you repeat it
But the problem with this method
As we all learned in our youth
If you lie with every answer
You can lose track of the truth
If you’re honest, recollections
Can be hazy and ephemery
Whereas liars have no option
But to have a darn good memory
For the pure prevaricators
To maintain their wiggle room
Must endeavor to recall precisely
What they said to whom
And no matter how they practice
And no matter what they sell
With a wink or with a gesture
They all leave a little “tell”
Our ability to spot them
Will advance and keep improving
If we discount every sentence
Spoken when their lips are moving.
