Read by Jason Neulander.
My manipulative lips curled
My nodding almost obsessive
My “Ah ha’s” were flying
She was ready to tell me a story
But I wasn't ready to listen
So,
I kept up my act
She kept up her story –
thick as tortilla soup,
as long as the Olympic Marathon Race,
as boring as shading in the o’s, p’s, and q’s on your class syllabus.
My brain slowly shut off - I let it
It did not think - I let it
It wandered into nothingness - I let it
Then it snapped awake!
It was her talking!
My smile held back the screaming
“Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!”
I kept on nodding, kept on smiling
Kept on making comments
No stopping me now!
My brain went back to sleep
I do act like I am listening
So
how can that hurt?
But do people do this to me?
Yesterday
when I was reading my mistake riddled essay
Were Dad’s eyes glistening with pride…
Or glassy…
because his brain shut off?
When I asked my mother to listen to me
Practicing my flute
Was she holding up her phone…
but not really recording me
but checking Facebook?
I need to stop this
I turn my brain back on.
There.
Ignore.