“…profoundly human noise…”
“…sounds that do not invite love…”
I know that much of ordinary human conversation
is essentially gossip about people we know,
experiences we’ve shared, and everyday occurrences.
Technically, even if you think you don’t gossip,
most likely you do quite a bit, every day.
Babel
The buzz of the crowd.
Social noise is so tolerable,
so remarkably incidental,
essentially careless communication,
public talk for private ears,
an imperative stream of disposable words.
Profoundly human noise.
No other creature babbles while feeding and drinking,
no other creature squanders such precious energy
to make noises that do not bring food,
to utter sounds that do not invite love
and do not demand respect.
No other creature is so fond of gabble,
so willing to abandon privacy
and say so many words
that almost no one wants to hear.
December 5, 2015
Pervasive gossip, de facto, is neither good nor bad. Most human beings incessantly communicate with each other.
My point is that gossiping in public can be noisy, intrusive, distracting, wondrously irrelevant, and, occasionally, disgusting. Usually, I really don’t want to hear your half of the cell phone conversation.
Now, talking—that’s a different story.
Talk it over with your friends.
My poem “Babel” was published in my second collection of 47 poems, Seeing far: Selected poems.
You can buy it on Amazon (paperback and Kindle),
or get it free in Kindle Unlimited, search for “Richard Carl Subber”
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My poetry. Copyright © Richard Carl Subber 2025 All rights reserved.
Movie review: Same Time, Next Year
all-American adultery, oh yeah…
click here
In other words: Poems for your eyes and ears with 64 free verse and haiku poems,
and the rest of my poetry books are for sale on Amazon (paperback and Kindle)
and free in Kindle Unlimited, search Amazon for “Richard Carl Subber”
Your comments are welcome—tell me what you’re thinking.
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