From my mid-teens

If something insulted my sensibilities

Anything – in any context – any medium -

My immediate reaction

With an indignant puff was:

HOLY HOT HANNIBALEM!

Which ejaculation -

Always so satisfying flying past my teeth

My tongue relishing alliteration -

Allowed my brain to catch up with my mouth

Levelling the field

For better appreciation

Of a viewpoint

Alternative to my own.

 

Whatever it takes, I always thought,

That is not mutually destructive.

An inane volley of dopey words.

Although, sometimes

People looked as though

I had socked them a good one

Or fired bullets past their ears.

Which always made me laugh

Quite dissolving tension.

They certainly looked surprised:

What a weird reaction!

Most saw the 'silly'.

I was laughing at myself!

And ergo, of course, the situation.

 

Not too different maybe

From guerilla warfare

In a convoluted kind of way:

Attack from the rear

With an element of surprise

And rout the enemy

In confusion!

Not necessarily annihilating them.

 

Well, it's worth a thought, en't it?

So I studied Latin!

What's the big deal?

I loved it!

I'm allowed.

It's that Celtic 'thing' again

Rearing its head with a sneaky wink

Because tomorrow's 'Paddy's Day!'

Aw – shucks!

 

Cynthia Buell Thomas, March 16, 2019