I ... entered the poem of life, whose purpose is ... simply to witness the beauties of the world, to discover the many forms that love can take. (Barabara Blackman in 'Glass After Glass')

These poems are works in progress and may be updated without notice. Nevertheless copyright applies to all writings here and all photos (which are either my own or used with permission). Thank you for your comments. I read and appreciate them all, and reply here to specific points that seem to need it — or as I have the leisure. Otherwise I reciprocate by reading and commenting on your blog posts as much as possible.

20 June 2016

Anti-Social Networking

She flung hard words at me
like stones – in a public forum.
(Could have been worse. Virtual
reality won't break my bones.)

I knew they were fired 
from a slingshot of rage
looking for the nearest target.
It just happened 
that I'd placed myself
in that general direction.

'I'm not playing in your yard
any more,' she yelled,
or words to that effect.

I stated the facts –
which were also points of logic –
calmly, once, then told her
she was free to leave;
no-one would stop her.

Witnesses remarked
on my gift for diplomacy, 
praised me: 'She was upset.
You let her be heard.'

Later, looking back
on what I'd said,
I was proud to discern
that I had delivered 
a perfectly polite,
unassailable, 
'Fuck you!'

5 comments:

  1. Dignified, rational - and very well handled, my friend.

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  2. Polite "Fuck yous" are the best, especially in retrospect.

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  3. You know there are journals that publish poetry and prose about social media. This is a good one!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for the thought, but perhaps I won't make it TOO public. There are those who could identify the exchange and the individual, including possibly herself. It's an even better 'fuck you' if it's my secret – except of course for readers of this blog, lol.

      Delete

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