My teeth number thirty-two.
I use some to bite. I use some to chew.
In this way, I specialize.
Don't get me started on my nose and eyes.
Oh dear, this small talk's going south.
How many teeth are in your mouth?
I do not know the borrowed words
That flutter lightly, spent on air,
The careful phrases people trade
And leave no warmth behind them there.
But give me fields at break of dawn,
When mist still holds the breathing land,
And I will hear what sparrows mean
Without a question being planned.
The bees confide in humble tones
Of labor sweet and faith in light,
They speak of summers earned by work
And faith that flowers will be bright.
A cat will tell me truths of rest,
Of patience folded into grace,
A horse will lend his quiet strength
Without demanding words or face.
I fail at talk that asks for nothing,
That circles safe and never sees,
But I am fluent in the hush
Between the birds, the leaves, the bees.
For there is speech that does not ask
To prove itself or to persuade—
It lives where listening is love,
And nothing true must be displayed.
they chew each other’s names
like gristle,
spit stories into the air
that stink before they land.
every word a small knife
looking for a back.
gossip crawls on the floor,
licking old blood,
hungry for new.
they feed it faces,
they feed it mistakes,
they feed it anything that once tried
to live clean.
the noise
is blunt-force trauma—
no filter from the brain to the mouth,
just rot rolling downhill
into sound.
ears packed with cotton,
hearing nothing,
feeling everything.
the skull rings
like a cheap bell in a slaughterhouse.
they don’t speak—
they discharge.
sentences like misfires,
wild bullets ricocheting off
whoever’s closest.
you stand there
taking shrapnel politely,
nodding like a good citizen of hell,
until the pressure behind your eyes
starts to beg for a violent silence.
later, alone,
the room finally stops shouting.
your hands shake.
your drink tastes like survival.
and you understand:
the quiet isn’t peace—
it’s just the sound
of the knives being put away
for the night.
The truth of life
Is hidden in your small talks
Now look at the views
On the photo how peaceful it is
For today's running time
It becomes emotional
To stay among the loved ones and talk.
*Z - Zelensky
*P - Putin
Z - "I've signed mines."
P - "Mines as well."
Z - "Then shall we."
P - "To our dinners."
Z - "Hope it's not Borscht."
P - "Could be, Dim Sum."
Z - "Mayhaps, Sushi"
P - "How was your dinner?"
Z - "The hot water need ..."
P - "... More salt, I agree."
Z - "Oh, you've washed your hands."
P - "Of the whole matter."
There's a heaviness
that comes over
leaking in from somewhere,
a certain mood
that paralyzes the throat.
It causes you to withdraw
and pull back
from where you can look out
and not feel what happens,
as if the nerves connecting
you to life are like those
to a tooth numbed
by novacaine.
When it wears off you find
yourself looking for a way back,
feeling around the dark for an exit
out of your own skin, riding
on the back of a word or two
as they escape your mouth
headed for the nearest conversation
where you can hide
in the small talk and nobody
will ever know you're there.
Small Talk Delayed
David J Walker
The days dawn falling in
Uncertain brokenness
Strangeness
came in waves
of multicolored
Cool sunrays
Nothing would be the same
He said
But nothing ever is
Instead
Of small talk delayed
The gardener went about
his business
Pruning the garden
I woke up to the sound of the keyboard clicking
I went ahead and arose and I'm not nitpicking
It wasn't long after that a friend of mine called
I'm glad we have things such as phones installed
We talked awhile concerning my poetry and reactions
I was worried hence to the writing of my factions
I'm sure that soon there's going to be an exchange
and the life I'm living now I must rearrange
I won't discuss that now but there will come a time
when I will disclose that information in my downtime
I will tell you this one tidbit before I expose
these writes will induce sense to you then I suppose
SMALL TALK
“How are you, well and you?
Oh my! What do you say?”
(Oh look, the time, If you don’t mind,
I’ll now be on my way.)
“Oh everyone’s fine, Yours? Yes, so is mine,
give all my love, hugs too.
I’m saved still the same... oh how have you changed,”
(So now our words will be few.)
“All of your good news, so glad to hear,
My prayers are with you, you’re such a dear,”
(Since all is well, let me steer clear)
We no longer cherish the time, it’s now yours and mine,
Small talk so soon gets old,
We all now part our ways, for the rest of our days,
Warm love has now gone cold.
This is the abounding iniquity,
Love now has little equity,
In the godly hearts of today,
We have so little to say
Never taking the time to really care or see.
“Well I better go now, (no more time for you now,
gotta walk, the separate paths we walk),
But rest assure my dear, God alone can hear,
the thoughts amidst all the small talk.
a tender smile
brings rapport,
a seesaw thrill
releases
a tense tang,
a humorous
aside
banishes dread,
reminences
flood memory
with delight
Family get togethers are so much fun
provided you stick to the rules.
Greet everyone with a smile.
Get them talking about themselves.
Don't compare nor gloat.
Set the timer to 'it will be over soon'.
Keep topics neutral; arguments deflated.
Keep unmentionables hidden away.
Don't say the obvious, keep anger at bay.
Small talk, short talk - in small short doses,
spread evenly around the room.
You can survive, unruffled, uninjured
by keeping it all short and sweet.
Happy........Whatsoever.
I grasp onto
Your every word
But I am afraid
You let mine go
So much to say,
So little time;
Rush through each day,
No time to rhyme.
So much to do,
So many things;
To win and woo,
No time to sing.
So much to gain,
So put things off;
Bear hurts and pains,
Live with odd cough.
So much to live,
No time for grief;
So give and give,
For life is brief.
Leon Enriquez
19 July 2015
Singapore
I nod my head and smile again
The burning creases brand my skin
A scar I will forever wear
There's nothing left to talk about
Pretend to hear; pretend to care
I fear my words have all run out.
Hope you'll think of me
Because even if you don't
I will think of you
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