Epistemology considered as a hang-gliding accident

A grain of truth, armoured with pure science
Takes wings and leaps unhindered from the cliff.
She soars aloft. The watchers gasp – defiance
Of the planet’s pull. Marv’lous – but if
The sources of vain wisdom laugh out loud
Demanding you believe our blog so smart
Damns “Theory” – refutation for the crowd
That follows us and our Priestesses heart.

It beats in tune with minds of un-named powers
Who gain their speculations from the air.
Prognosticating carefree ivory towers,
Whose knowledge seeks its thrills at fraudster fairs.
Those facts, when proven lies, transmogrify
Into next weekend’s social media blast
While quiet truth just tests, grows, falsifies
Building on inaccuracies past.

“What is truth” said Pilate; washed his hands,
The bias of our minds, though, does the same
Conspiracies abound, spread wide by plans
Of techno-billionaires who share no blame.
Too much data; little information
Breeding fear in unempowered souls
Not enough and too much speculation
Undermines beliefs, like witch-brewed bowls.

Rulers try to gauge which wind is fair
Judging who to please, to court, to burn
And grain of truth, without an updraft there,
Crashes to the ground, her value spurned.

GRC ii 2021