We sit, one couch cushion apart;
details of our lives
lay in heaps at our feet.
Two days’ time is not enough
to rub through
the polite veneer
on our conversation.
We are witty,
but our laughter sounds thin:
ice cubes clinking in a cocktail glass.
We stay on the periphery
civilized, trivial.
This is for the sorely missed G-man and his FF55 where folks offer 55 words of their choice. Check it out!
Sounds kinda icky mary...
ReplyDeleteWander
Just got the chance to read one of your published poems...it was good:-)
Hi Chris. It was kinda...um, disappointing. And thanks!
DeleteGood capture when small talk takes place...we talk about things on the surface and never get to explore the deep....I like to go deep :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Ayala. I do too, but this time we just couldn't quite connect.
DeleteWhat interesting laughter that came due
ReplyDeleteI might make fun of you haha
Heheh - cheers Pat.
DeleteYou really catch that awkward feeling I often have in social situations, Mary. And there's a lot of nuance and mystery also, which I always love, especially in a 55.
ReplyDeleteThanks Joy. I was about to explain the situation but maybe I shouldn't. :o)
DeleteMary Bach...
ReplyDeleteSounds like some parents and children.
Most excellent story!!
Trust me, I missed everyone just as much.
Loved your 55
Thanks for playing, thanks for your support, and have a Kick Ass Week-End
Thanks G! Soooo good to have you back!
Deleteit is a whole lot easier to get along when you stay on the surface....that is small talk surely...smiles...
ReplyDeleteJust went through one of those situations Brian. Cheers!
DeleteThis one rings true, as if coming from personal experience. An uncomfortable situation to be sure, but it surely could have been worse if the civility wasn't there at all. Strong 55, Mary.
ReplyDeleteThanks Eric. Good to 'see' you again!
DeleteThe trouble is . . the deeper conversations could be too, um, pugilistic(?) to risk embarking on. Well written.
ReplyDeleteThank you Doctor. Greater risk- greater reward is the other side of that coin perhaps.
DeleteDamn those strained pleasantries. I like getting to the secret bottom line fairly soon. ~Mary
ReplyDeleteYes, it's unsatisfying not to get there.
DeleteBlame it all on Mercury going retrograde - it reads like a perfect example...
ReplyDeleteAha! That explains it! Thank you Jinksy!
Delete"laughter sounds thin".... UGH! Nice write on a situation we all dread.
ReplyDeleteThank you Margaret.
Delete"We stay on the periphery
ReplyDeletecivilized, trivial."
It's tough when "closeness" takes a turn. Sometimes temporary, and sometimes people just grow apart. I like how you captured this, Mary.
Thanks Ginny. Temporary I hope!
Deletewell written Mary
ReplyDeleteThank you Ashok.
DeleteGreat 55. Love the details.
ReplyDeleteThank you KB!
DeleteThis is great. You've captured the disintegration of a relationship perfectly.
ReplyDeleteThanks Patti :o)
DeleteI love the sound of clinking ice. The cushion-apart small talk invades our conversations. It reminds me of a visit with a far away sibling or long lost friend. It takes time to cut to the core of things and there is never enough of that. Nice 55.
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly what it was Yvonne. Glad to hear it resonated with you.
DeletePerfectly pitched poem, thanks, Mosk
ReplyDeleteThank YOU Mosk!
DeleteMary I came back to read this again, and this is a very good poem, very good!
ReplyDeleteI would like to interview you on my blog, what do you say? If that is something you are willing to do shoot me an email.
Wander
ziggy101877@gmail.com
Thanks Chris! I'd like that. :o)
ReplyDelete