We sit in silence over breakfast,
insulated
by newsprint walls -
civilized, distant;
each with our
separate
thoughts and plans -
civilized, distant.
We part for the day with a peck -
civilized, distant.
We sit in silence over dinner,
electronic buffer between us,
no need to interact -
civilized, distant.
For G-man's FF55.
Oh my - well I love you newsprint walls! thanks-
ReplyDeleteThank you Izzy.
Deleteugh...what a hard reality to exist in but so true of so many as well...ha, nice last line...yes, the dangers of that for sure...i would rather communicate even if....cause i could not live within it...
ReplyDeleteYes, that don't say anything can backfire for sure.
DeleteMary Bach...
ReplyDeleteAn absolute DEAD ON description of more relationships than we can imagine.
What a fantastic little Gem of writing.
Loved your Silent 55
Thanks for playing, thanks for being such a World Class contributor.
Have a Kick Ass Week-End
Thank you Galen. Hope you have a great weekend too!
DeleteWow, those cones of silence are the absolute worst and usually ring a death knell for a relationship. You captured that state of affairs perfectly, Mary.
ReplyDeleteThanks Talon.
DeleteThis sad little scene you describe plays out over and and over and over. We miss so much joy in life, a shame.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely right Helen.
DeleteFake saying something mean? haha So many live such a way at their bay.
ReplyDeleteYup, lots.
DeleteYes, sometimes one needs that sort of wall to survive. And sometimes you have to climb over and run for the hills! The refrain here--civilized, distant--emphasizes the alienation perfectly. I recommend more glowworms in their diet. ;_)
ReplyDeleteGlowworms it is! :o)
ReplyDeleteI would hate to live in that environment for long. I've certainly seen it done, though.
ReplyDeleteYes, it's surprisingly common from what I observe.
DeleteI'd go "native" fairly quickly :) "Civil" is experienced beautifully in this poem.
ReplyDeleteThank you Margaret...and I'm with you!
DeleteIt does sound quite civil, but to have a "war" you need fire and emotions. Sounds like that fire went out some time back.
ReplyDeleteYou know Tim, I struggled with the title for this, and I think you're right. It's more like a cold war, or something...
DeleteYou could maybe talk about Jackson . . . ?
ReplyDeleteSounds like the end of my marriage, although at the very end I got hostile and told him to get his drug-taking, cheating ass out of my life. He's gotten better since as far as the drug use goes, I give him that much. He did it for our kids.
ReplyDeleteThis was quietly powerful. Reminded me of a New Yorker cartoon where the married couple is sitting wordlessly next to each other, staring straight ahead, with the caption "Minimum Security Prison."
ReplyDeleteGreat work, my friend.
The repetition of "civilized,distant" really is powerful..it keeps hammering in the coolness of the relationship
ReplyDelete