Local Live Poet's Chowder Society February 08 Love Poem

Let's Talk or Not

You are better at it than I am
Letting anger wonder around
until it cannot be easily found.
Letting time fill the spaces.

Letting the silence be heard.
Talking about tree colors,
techniques, and trivialities.
Saying things like
don't let those words
come out of your mouth

I expect that lack
of comfort in not
resolving with words
even those that may bring blood
for me comes in part
from an overly screamed youth
where conflict and creative survival
was the name of the game.

Sadly then maybe love
was conflict and
could not be easily felt
if not screamed or shouted.
Perhaps complete with
Threats and Ultimatums
If with a certain clear code
of what could never be said.

There was a certain
comfort in that predictability
of knowing eventually,
usually sooner than later,
there would be conflict.
So certain it was that
little time was there
for letting the silence be heard.

Hot words and lines drawn
strangely letting everyone
know they were loved
or at least in the playing field.
Watching my family even today
it is still hard to risk being silent.

We often stand at opposite
ends of this verbal playing field
You and I
You keep your own counsel
work out the scenerios

Creating you own reality show
in your head
You present your case
call in the jury
and set the sentence

Never showing an alteration
in tone or voice or
deviation from calm
your words not necessarily related
to the show in process.
All smoke and mirrors.
A certain artistic presentation.

I, in turn, can be in
Warrior Princess Mode
with you in a heart beat.
Weapons at hand and
ready to defend the terriroty
that feels at risk.

Turn around
you reach out or touch me
I forget what the war is about.
Sometimes silence can
fill the space for awhile
with no life threatening consequence.
So lets talk or not at times
Knowing love is there.

LSS February 9,2008