*Speak the Truth, Though It Trembles* _By Aklesh Jain_

When storms gather and the ground feels thin,  

We reach for words that smooth the skin,  

Half-told stories, sheltered lies,  

Afraid to meet another’s eyes.  

For truth can sting at first address,  

Can draw the blame, invite the mess.  

The music starts, the crowd turns loud,  

You stand alone without a shroud.  

Yet what we hide will find its way,  

Through cracks we left in light of day.  

A whispered debt comes due with weight,  

And silence grows too dense, too late.  

So let the fact be on your tongue,  

Though voice may shake and nerves be wrung.  

The moment bites, the fire is brief,  

But ashes birth a firm belief.  

For time is witness, time is kind  

To those who lay their fears behind.  

Mistakes become the steps you climb,  

Each scar a signature of time.  

Speak true, and trust will plant its seed,  

In soil where others fear to lead.  

And when you fall, a hand extends,  

Because your word was real, my friend.  

This is not a call to be unwise,  

To rush with flame where caution lies.  

Work with care, with thoughtful art,  

But let your spine be truth at heart.  

The road is long, the winds will test,  

Yet honest words still serve you best.  

For in the end, when noise is past,  

It’s truth that holds, and truth that lasts.