Without Taking A Breath Poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

Making attempts,
To communicate to those who do not listen...
Gets old.
With it becoming a useless thing to pursue.

And then the day comes,
When those who took offense and it showed...
They would rather not listen to anyone making sense.
Especially if they had convinced themselves and others...
Communicating with a listening to comprehend,
Would mean keeping their mouths closed.
And ears left open.
To allow an understanding to begin.

For certain people like this,
It is a pointless position to put oneself in.
Since...
They are the ones with a more obvious urgency,
To be understood and not hear a thing...
To understand what it is they should.
With a leaving to believe something heard was comprehended.
Instead of taking offense when words they speak go ignored.

'They don't say a thing to me anymore.
Me?
I'm going to say what's on my mind anytime.
I know how to talk! And not afraid to do it, either.'

~You're kidding?
And I notice you do it without taking a breath.
Unless you are thinking of what to say next.~

'Well,
I'm not going to just sit while no one says anything.'

~Even if it means interrupting.~

'I'm sorry.
What did you say? '