Napowrimo 22: Self-Talk

For the twenty-second day of National Poetry Writing Month, the challenge was to write a poem in which a speaker is in dialogue with perself.

Self, how pedantic shall I be?

(Long past, on Linguist List, folks sought

The first use of "Self..." sophistry

In literature. I could have taught

Them: Dwain Reed, in a Nashville song

(Was it in 1971?),

Used "I said to myself, 'Self...'" Long

Before his time, most of his con-

Structions were used by simple folk

In the Blue Ridge Mountains. Should I go

Back to that post, at its end poke

Data--from twenty years ago?)

"Life is too short. The linguist who

Put up that post is long retired.

Address the question: who should sue,

Or who should call to have whom fired,

When Black students demand the 'right'

To write, speak, paint, and chant vile slurs

On all (even their own mothers) White

Americans..." The mind's eye blurs.

Whatever fun distractions be,

Life's far too short to be p.c.