1. I failed to form a habit
as I grew among weeds
in a kind hillbilly woman’s garden
across the creek, up the holler
and beside the oil wells.
2. I have no need to impress,
to fluff my feathers
like a male peacock
showing I mean business
by littering my speech
with meaningless syllables.
3. I say too much anyway,
why add words without substance,
save to prove tetosterone existence
or hormonal imbalance
or fear of unacceptance or belief
that I must because…well, I just must.
4. It’s common, too common,
ultimate cliches. Anybody
can do it, without true thought,
demonstrating words without purpose
in an age of actions without thought.
6. Once, when I was small
granny said, “Ladies don’t cuss,
men may,
women may,
but not noblemen,
not honorable men
and never ladies.
Be brave. Be unique.
Be a lady. When you grow up,
they will be rare.”
7. Granny would wash my mouth
with lye soap.
Lye tastes terrible.
***Disclaimer: be open minded. Don’t hate the poet because she believes a mouth can be clean and still communicate. She’s a nice person. Really.
this is my favorite..love this one. I especially enjoyed your creative way of doing the poem…( i think #7 was the one we all worried about)..