Every Lie We Told: Animals

A tiger's eyes staring out from behind green jungle leaves. Overlaid text reads: "My soul, jealous of every carnal sin, wails itself to slumber in the wildcat's den." Paul Verlain & Arthur Rimbaud. Part II: Animals. Every Lie We Told by M.J. Ortmeier

Every Lie We Told

Part II - Animals

Desire. Jealousy. Guilt. Part II steps into that wilderness where instinct blurs with intention. Where love, once gentle, begins to bare its teeth.

This line by Paul Verlain and Arthur Rimbaud captures the ache of wanting what cannot coexist with peace. It’s a space Mark has deliberately built for himself, one he strides into with confidence, pausing only when his intellect whispers a warning. A snippet of another poem crosses his mind, Blake’s Tyger: “Did he smile his work to see?”

That same question stalks Jen and Mark through Part II. Will the wild beauty they’ve created turn its teeth on them?

Every Lie We Told. On Sale December 1, 2025.

Available for preorder on Barnes & Noble and Amazon