to be courteous
to this society where i live
i pocket my smile
i swallow my pride
you see me chewing a gum
and you order me
to swallow it
because you don't like seeing me
chewing this mint
i swallow it
in your name
and behave as though nothing happened
no i will not tell anybody
i will not tell about you or your name
i will not retaliate
i will just write
this poem
if you call this a poem at all
this shame
and this shamelessness of you
RIC S. BASTASA
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/to-be-courteous/
