Magpie Tales 129: Small Talk

A Dinner Table at Night, 1884, John Singer Sargent, shared by Tess Kincaid.




               small talk 




               between slicing
               whirs of air and 
               feathered edges 
               there is restraint.


               storms, too, have 
               that characteristic, 
               a raging/abating,
               that keeps you 
               off your mark,


               reminding you 
               that control is 
               not always 
               what you do
               with your life: 


               to appreciate 
               dominion and calm,
               is to also be 
               prepared for 
               alternatives between
               cocktails and 
               the feast. 




Poem © 2012 R. Burnett Baker