Talking to Myself
Interior conversations are supposedly healthy, but maybe not when they become exterior.
My mouth has always gotten me in trouble Prattling away while doing mindless chores Or as the teacher drones in class until She glares at me and declares: Empty cans rattle! My mother thinks I'm crazy It says so in all the books. Right? She warns me of the dangers Of yammering on with NoOne in sight. What would people think? Small talk with other women leaves me pale Their conversations wallowing in rumor And finally someone's temper flares at me They just don't understand my sense of humor. Was it something I said? Even my poor husband is baffled As I ample, mumbling down the hall He's just as peeved and flustered when I Scold him for not answering my call. Were you talking to me … or yourself? So I talk to my good old friend, NoOne, Who sits calmly in the chair nodding, yes My words always find her listening ear That wrings meaning from my ideas She never takes offense or argues And as my mental laundry Flutters in the breezy air I don't care what other people think I rattle on, an empty can, saying what I dare. Did you know that little old lady in B9 is nuts?
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Love that you wrote this! True confessions: I talk to myself in the grocery store. I say things to no one like, "do I need crackers? Don't forget almonds. Dang, did they stop carrying Spinach Littles?" What helped me was that one day I realized women all over the grocery store were having similar conversations! Here's to prattling on. Sometimes it just serves a purpose. Great whimsy in this piece!
Hahaha!! Good for you! The last thing a woman should wear, after age 60, is other people’s opinions! Actually, that goes for all ages!! My daughter’s report card was always good, but there was always a note somewhere on that report card, letting me know, that she “likes to visit with her neighbors”..she is still very talkative, but it doesn’t get in the way of her life. I’m a real chatterbox, too, so she comes by it naturally. 😉
Great writing, Sue!!