Literal - Sept 27 2023

 

Literal

Sept 27 2023

When push comes to shove, she said

and I wondered what she meant.

A friendly nudge

up a steep hill

when my step faltered?

Or a firm shove

over the edge of a cliff?

Why do I keep doing this?

Interrogate sayings

parse meaning

infer intent?

The English language

is a thing of beauty,

but can be treacherous

In the wrong hands.

Because while words can't kill

they draw blood;

like a lethal dagger

dangling over your head,

hover in the air

long after they're uttered.

She meant nothing, of course

by this cliché,

it was simply something to say.

What I've learned since

is to read, rather than listen;

follow her eyes

catch her tone

decipher body language.

Words have meaning.

But often, they don't.

An odd origin story for this poem. The expression appeared in something I was reading, and for some reason it stuck. And the only way I could get it unstuck was to write it out of me. So I put down the opening line, and then let stream of consciousness — along with my ear — take over.

I suppose this is a pitfall of being so attentive to language. Sometimes, you become a concrete thinker and hear metaphors literally. Or don't hear them so much as see the possibilities, ambiguities, and misdirections; and then want to play with them.

If there is a theme to this poem, it's that communication is fraught. So be a generous listener, and hear with all of your senses.