Searches Not Stories

An author promises
To be a good scholar,
To not make up too much,

To seek out what is known,
Acknowledge what isn’t,
And not confuse the two.

Good luck. The undertow
Of storytelling’s worse
Than any addiction

Other than life itself,
And, like hunger and thirst
And the need for more air,

Can only be managed,
Not quit altogether,
Short of the end of life.

You space it out. Measure
Your indulgence, pump brakes
When you start to bingeing,

Risk disordered eating
To keep from spiraling.
The good scholar takes note

When narrative verges
On gratifying tales,
The bellyful of bull,

Pushes the plate away.
But what is searching for
If not for the story?