On No One

Intelligence is worth something
In an intelligent species,
And deceit is valuable
In a species prone to deceit.

People, of course, sport both these traits,
And depend on them to survive
Each other. However, only
The first trait should be advertised.

Which is comical, in a way,
Since good lies are proofs of some smarts,
While intelligence mostly serves
As a dogsbody for deceits.

Of antiquity’s weird heroes
With their opaque character traits,
Only Odysseus gets through.
Only Odysseus rings true.