Paradise and Hell, and the Invention of Falsehood

Paradise was neither there nor here; Paradise was the sound echoing within my ears. Paradise is the truth questioned before my eyes. Paradise is my ignorance’s attempt to feel special. Paradise is the refusal to accept solitude in the universe. Paradise is the species to which I belong, distinct from the animals I sought yet never found. Paradise is the bliss of the falsehoods in the sacred scriptures I have read.

Hell is my home. Hell is the dark thoughts dwelling in my mind. Hell is the forbidden love from which escape is impossible. Hell is the mirror reflection of the self experienced anew with each awakening. Hell is the collection of memories of a self unrecognizable with every passing day. Hell is the loneliness destined to be felt after death. Hell is the darkness that ensues once the lights are turned off. Hell is everything that prompts thought.

Falsehood permeates everything. Falsehood is the impulse at the very core of rendering existence livable. In its time, Falsehood was my ancestors—hidden among the bushes—rising onto two legs to encounter life. Falsehood is the initial thought of a brain that awakens once idle hands, engaged while standing on firm ground, are set to use. Falsehood is the daily act of worship performed to heighten the desire to live. Just as happiness would remain elusive without falsehood, so too would the discovery of purpose. Falsehood was an invention; falsehood was the greatest necessity.