Words are just a wrapper—
Truth lives in the ache,
Not in the noise we speak,
But in what starts to break.
We often make remarks,
Wearing their grief like borrowed skin,
But fail to touch the fire,
That burns beneath within.
"I feel alone," we think we hear—
"I'm fearful. I'm not okay."
We answer, "I'm sorry,"
Then turn and walk away.
But somewhere in the underneath,
Where real things tend to hide,
If you'd just listen—really listen—
You'd hear the breaking inside.
Always armed with “I’ve been there,”
As if that makes it right—
"You feel alone? What do you mean?
I texted you last night."
Not every wound is waiting
To be matched with one of yours.
Sometimes the kindest thing to do
Is keep your own behind closed doors.
Their voice is not a trigger
For your pain to take the stage.
It’s not a prompt—it’s not a test—
It’s someone else’s cage.
No “me too,” no “here’s my version,”
No jumping in to fix—
Just stillness in the sacred space
Where truth and silence mix.
It’s not your turn when someone breaks—
Their pain is not your cue.
Hold your story. Shut your mouth.
This moment’s not about you.
Mow the lawn now get a broom don't you stop
now sweep the room.
Wash the dishes and put them away
shut your mouth and do as I say.
Now do the laundry and make up the bed
I'M going to slow so a punch to the head.
Put out the trash then clean the yard
for a man this shouldn't be hard.
Now cook me lunch and get me a drink
then run me a bath unlike you I don't stink
Now get to bed and sleep for an hour
I am the boss I have complete power.
Don't argue with me as I control your live
I'M YOUR BOSS YOUR TORMENTOR AND ALSO YOUR
WIFE.
You say you're in a hurry,
and you want to pass a bus,
but you have a li'l worry -
A hiding cop - a mean cuss.
The bus displays a stop sign.
You think you have bad luck.
To pass it should be just fine.
The cop wants you to be stuck.
Hold on just a minute, ace.
Best to be a little late,
lest a life you can replace.
Now, shut your mouth and wait.
Drooling along,
Every day.
No matter,
What people say!
My mother says," Shut your mouth! Your spewing drool all about!"
My father says, "I'm going to bed! No more drool on my head!"
My mouth is shut tight,
But the drool takes flight!
Over my lips,
Down my chin,
On my shirt,
Where it all soaks in!
I have a lavish style of dress,
Only the very best!
And if anyone is to check,
They know my clothes,
Due to the spatter of drool,
Across my shirt and under my nose!
I'm the only one with drool splattered clothes.
As everyone knows,
The boy who drools,
Wears the best clothes!
Once I went to work,
For a company that makes pullover shirts.
They had to test,
Which material was best!
To absorb the least sweat.
So, my drool has paid off,
Now I wear a new shirt every day,
With drool dropping every which way!
In the meantime,
I used my brain,
Started a company with shirts that don't stain.
My tears run from the coastline
To the Atlantic
My grief is fueled
By the flare of oil wells
My hope is dashed
By the disaster of oil spills
And my only voice of justice
Is hanged with the noose.
O kenule Beeson Saro-Wiwa
They shut your mouth with threats of bullets
But you became MOSOP to protest
They crushed MOSOP with the noose
To the dismay of the world.
But today your voice remains active
In the many tales you tell
Of a woeful nation and the sufferings of your kinsmen:
Sosa Boy, Forest Flowers, Songs In A Time Of War, Nigeria: The Brink Of Disaster,
The Singing Anthill, Genocide In Nigeria: Ogoni Tragedy…
They thought they have murdered you
But you merely traveled beyond to rest
And left us with our tales of woes
Where they hunt us like squirrels.
Tell me, who will fight for our justice,
Who will console us from our calamity?
O my tears run from the coastline
To the Atlantic
My grief is fueled
By the flare of oil wells
My hope is dashed
By the disaster of oil spills
And my only voice of justice!
Call it what you will,
even though you’re not supposed to;
Now we think it’s ok to stay quiet?
Shut your mouth but I won’t stay silent;
Out of options to remain out of control,
right now that’s what we need more of;
Sit back follow a train off the tracks;
Hop on follow the jet set,
instigating a riot of silence
poised for the loudest defeat.
No opinion
No voice
No rights
No freedom
Can you see?
Or you shut your eyes
Can you hear?
Or you shut your ears
Can you relate?
Or you shut your heart
Shut your mouth
Don’t speak
Close your ears
Don’t listen
Kill your heart
Don’t feel
Do you remember
When your opinion was ignored
When your voice wasn’t heard
When they took your rights
When they took your freedom
Are you fine?
I’m not
Let’s make a change they say
But no one reacts
Let’s make a change you say
But how?
It’s a sad world for some
And these some only have their God
You can close your eyes,
Plug your ears,
Shut your mouth.
But you cannot close your mind.
Throughout my life I've noticed,
That people like to talk;
But though they like to talk the talk,
Most don't walk the walk.
Most folks think highly of themselves.
Some more than they should.
They'll put on aires and talk about,
The ugly, bad and good;
Of all the people, places, things,
They're seeing, going, doing,
But be polite, be interested,
In what they say they're brewing.
Don't repeat a word you hear.
Don't take one word to heart,
For things change over night, you know,
Make you look like an upstart.
So if you're asked your take on things,
Say it's all news to you.
Just shut your mouth, let others talk,
Let them tell you what's new.
IF,
If this is just
If this is the just of things
Then the best
of things are along the way
And if the best of things
Are on the way
This is why I continually pray
I say
there is NO
There's NO if in God
there's only "TIME" and patience
and if you're waiting on HIM
Father God
remember HE IS the ALL
creator
You see He's also created TIME
So sit down,
Shut your mouth
and wait
For the guidance and the promise
For your time is not His
You see He gave you breath
Just be
Just be
You need to be patient
4/27/21
Written words by James Edward Lee Sr. 2021©
Now this is off the record.
Most stupid statement you could ever make.
Shut your mouth and keep your words inside.
Today I write for the women, of the Poetry Soup.
Tuesday’s poem of the day was more like bigotry goop.
More hate was spit out by an imbecile’s rant.
I would love to shut your mouth, you’re just lucky I can’t.
Your words aren’t appreciated nor will they ever be.
You don’t speak like a real man a coward is what I see.
Why would you attack women? That’s just pathetic and weak.
Would your mother approve of the words that you speak?
You’re entitled to your opinion as I am to mine.
But bring your hate to this platform and I’ll speak up every time.
A woman gave you life and wiped your worthless rear.
Mothers do a lion’s share of the work, not you my dear.
You need to reboot and think before you boast.
You show your intelligence by the words that you post.
I’m sorry dear ladies you don’t deserve any more pain.
You have my love and respect, no matter what this fool claims.
Got something Workin
Ain't got let you
Mess up my groove
Sit down and
Shut your mouth
Watch that
Attitude
Be with you when
I'm finished
Shut up
Sit your ass
Down
Doing my thing
Doing my thing
Ain't no interruptions
I'm doing my thing
Don't know what is
Wrong
Til I can figure it out
Can't read your mind
tell me what you talking
About
Something's bothering
You and I can't
Firgure it out
Sit down and
Shut up
Let me figure it out
Doing my thing
Doing my thing
Don't need no
Interruptions
Cause I'm doing
My thing
Don't say I"m
Insentitive
Or don't say I'm
Mean
Get your words
Together
So I'll know
What you mean
You can't substitute
The real thing
I can't understand
If I don't know
What it means
Right now
I'm doing my thing
Doing my thing
Doing what I
Gotta do
I can't be ain't
Doing my thing
Doing my thing
what the!
did you say
we the people
are living
in a bad new age
we can no longer
live in a melodramatic
irredeemable way!
oblivious to
what, we do
and how it will
hurt the children
of today
you say
we the community
need to act
in a uncivilized way
clean up this
right away
and do all we can
on this very day
cut down on
things that cause
environment toxic waste
shout no more
crude oil spills
in the river and lakes
and not to live
with plastics
severed up
on our family's
dinner plates
no! you didn't,
just
try and save the World
by getting manhandle
by every cop in the world
whats that you say
its time to
get up and march
its another
fu*k with the
man Friday
Ok! lets do it your way...
Give The Earth A Chance
The world is ending
So, everybody says
Too many people
Breathing and living
Lunatics take to the street
Yelling and screaming
We have to do something
Yet, they are so, so wrong
The world is not ending
We are not going extinct
And everything will be fine
All you have to do is shut your mouth
Stop all your grandstanding
And give the Earth a chance
It can do more to heal itself
Than you could ever think of doing
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Looking for the formal definition, structure, and history of this poetry form? Visit the Poetry Dictionary entry below. Then return to explore how PoetrySoup members bring the form to life through their own poems.