Today's poetry promt was "TMI" - the jargon for "too much information", a cliche that makes me see red - hence the flow of "case against" poetry. The world is lonely enough for way too many people without further isolating ourselves by worrying over whether we are sharing "too much information."
First Case Against TMI
Hard enough to negotiate boundaries
without cute initials, sophisticated
cowardly excuse to cover up
You bore me. I don't care. I feel
uncomfortable with your pain.
It hits to close to home. I want
my denial back,. Don't trouble
me with your truth. I don't care.
If I overstep, put foot in mouth,
frighten or disgust you tell me.
Don't hide behind the shield of TMI.
Hard enough to negotiate boundaries
without the artifice of cute initials.
Second Case Against TMI
TMI TMI Too much information.
How can that be when we
hide in air conditioned cars,
converse in mannered sound bites
at market Excuse me. Policy is...
Have a nice one. Let me verify...
How can there be too much information
when we save face, keep ourselves and
each other at arm's length, avoid unsolicited
advice, eye contact, incidental touch,
How can there be too much information
when we teach a generation to us hand
sanitizer and consider every stranger danger.
TLI TLI I cry, too little information. Too little
connection. We live and die in isolation.
Third Case Against TMI
How can I learn to love you
if I have to make you up?
We leave out most of the
story, others just fill in
and friendships skim the
surface, unreal, unrealized.
I want your information.
I want you to want mine.
Victoria Hendricks, April 5, 2010
2 comments:
Of all of your poems, Victoria, the third poem most resonates. I love to have all of the information about people I care about. I don't to make someone up. I want to KNOW and want others to want to know ME. Thank you for your poems, Victoria. You have given me some more perspectives.
Even though I do believe there is such a thing as inappropriate information (and yes, even that reveals something about the speaker), I do relate to what you are saying here. I think in your work setting you are probably good at getting people to share themselves though. I have always found you an easy person to talk to!
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