He jabbers of nothing
in empty sweet-speak;
refining its shape,
giving a tweak.
Then he adds tinsel,
a sequin or two,
a frill of paper lace,
and hands it to you.
Are your eyes alight?
How trite,
how absurd!
He means not a word.
Written for dVerse's Quadrille #229: Shall We Jabber On? (44 words not counting the title, including some form of the word 'jabber'.)
I think we went with the same idea 👍
ReplyDeleteWell no, you very obviously meant a particular person. Mine intends a social, not political setting, and a type rather than one individual. However, I do see why you could have thought that; I won't say that it cannot apply!
Deleteaka playa. It only works if you want to suspend disbelief and drink the koolaid.
ReplyDeleteYes, you got it!
Delete👏👏👏
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteHa! Love it.
ReplyDeleteDelighted to hear it.
DeleteI’m so glad I know no one like that, Rosemary.
ReplyDeleteThat's good!
DeleteLove love LOVE the tangible visuals of all that fancy speech. Perfection.
ReplyDeleteDe
Oh, thank you De!
DeleteThese two lines remind me of how I write, “ refining its shape, / giving a tweak.” Most mornings I wake up and write just a few simple lines and then spend the next three or four hours massaging what I wrote originally. Refining shape and tweaking the language. I’ve gotten so used to it that now I can do it quickly. This is a very fine example of ars poetica. Thank you very much.
ReplyDeleteWell, thank you, but I wasn't intending it to refer to poetry. And I certainly wouldn't call your poetry, which I admire, meaningless!
DeleteOh... yes those sweet talkers has their ways of seducing with nothing... much like sustanence from sugar only.
ReplyDeleteHa ha, well said.
DeleteSuch a guy thing to do!
ReplyDeleteHa ha, clearly I think so too as I made my protagonist male. I wonder if I am being sexist? But it doesn't seem to be, as described, typically female behaviour.
DeleteOuch! What a super poke at disingenuousness- Jae
ReplyDeleteHa, thank you!
DeleteI like how you unwrap the “tinsel” and “paper lace” to reveal that hollow core—it lands with a wry little punch.
ReplyDeleteMuch love,
David
SkepticsKaddish.com
Thanks for the appreciation.
DeleteI love this! Kim (The cheeseellers wife)
ReplyDeleteSo glad you do, Kim!
DeleteHa! Love this, Rosemary.
ReplyDeleteGood!
Delete“empty sweet-speak” I like the phrase. Turns out not to be sweet at all.
ReplyDeleteThank you. Yes, quite so.
Delete