Phil Wyman: Dim Saesneg

Dishonesty can never be betrayed

nor faithless men, nor selfishness be crossed

The liar and the thief will lie in wait

and they stand strong, others be damned and lost

 

So only honest folk can be betrayed

The faithful and the selfless play no game

Their end goal is to love and then to stay

Like Jacob they will wrestle until lame

 

If you should hear the call to faithfulness

demanded as obligatory, flee

The one commanding will demand the best

from everyone but not upon himself, you see

 

Betrayal’s anatomy is not complex

Those breaking trust expect it from the rest

 

The goal of this sonnet is to highlight how it is that honest and faithful people end up in situations of betrayal. Those who trust are likely to be taken advantage of by those who deceive. And those who desire to be faithful to the end are likely to meet people who will play upon their emotions to call them to remain faithful, even while they are being exploited. Thus, the title of the sonnet: the anatomy of betrayal.

The rhyme scheme abab acac dede ff is a slight variation on the classic Shakespearean sonnet, which seems appropriate since Shakespeare was the guy who gave us the words, “Et tu Brute?” The second quatrain could be seen as using an aaaa end rhyme sequence, which emphasizes the fact that people who betray others will relentlessly focus on the importance of devotion and allegiance. Think the Third Reich and you get my drift. If you are feeling pressured to attain some high level of allegiance by someone who regularly sees betrayal in others around him/her, you just might be dealing with an abusive person, that does not feel that faithfulness has to be a two way street.

This is something people should keep in mind when they are looking for a church to attend. An over-emphasis on obedience or allegiance to the church or the pastor may be a signal of something wrong.

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