| John Beaton |
Why The Cautious Are Not Cautionsread by john beaton You must be very careful what you say in case your audience mishears and mocks at how you say it—precisely at the way you organize your words. If hearers flay you, you could hit the booze and need detox. You must be very careful. What you say must be pronounced correctly. Don’t say “quay” if you don’t want your listeners to “faux” pas how you say it. Precisely in what way would you respond to some old popinjay who thinks you’re raising birds not growing “phlox”? You must be very careful what you say in case you let slip “black” or “white” or “gay” or who’s a terrible asshole. Don’t cause shocks: kow-tow and say it, nicely… in a way. You’re ready, but the topic’s gone astray— you’ve been preempted by a chatterbox! Might you have been too careful, would you say? And could you say precisely in what way?  © Seth Fitts John Beaton is a retired actuary who lives on Vancouver Island, Canada. He is a moderator of "The Deep End" on-line workshop at Eratosphere and his poetry has been widely published in on-line and printed media. |