Stop talking to me

I don’t want to smile for you

But you want to be heard

And your size means I must tread cautiously

A fight would mean I might survive

but not unharmed

A deep breath tells my heart to slow

Nothing to worry about yet

Your words are innocuous

right now

Two minutes later though

I could be be headed into a

passive aggressive minefield

so I watch my step

and give a small, tight smile while

My mind’s busy running calculations

looking for the projected path

that avoids the angry minefield of further obligation

Even so

a hand on my shoulder might

cut through the formalities

Politeness

Never overrated

serves me well

I’m polite

but not too engaging

while I step past

finding an excuse

a friendly face

a place to be

a reason

to not be

acquired

 

Copyright © Christina Lynn Lambert