No one wants to know how much it matters to talk, how vital it is to express oneself.
But no one tells the birds to be quiet, or the crickets to be silent.
Nothing but fear and instinct shuts them down, causes them pause – and it is only a pause, to better assess the situation, to gauge their safety and the safety of their community. A pause…
And then, back to what they were saying, doing. Singing to who-knows-what in the middle of the day; chirping to the stars all night long.
But we humans?
We learn to speak, and are silenced immediately.
We never have a chance to sing to our hearts’ desires, to speak to our minds’ content. We cannot ask the millions of questions, cannot share the billions of things we’ve learned.
We are shut down by mother, father, sister, brother, grandparents, aunts and uncles, teachers… by everyone. Not engaged. Not even distracted. We are bound to listen, to obey…
To relinquish our freedom of speech before we ever know what that means.
And we wonder at the lack of intelligence in our day.
We are confounded at the dissolution of marriages, of families, of relationships.
We wish for peace…
And yet, we cannot, will not speak, will not allow hearts to speak…
Though we cannot help but love those few who break through the silence, the rules of self-oppression.
I would give anything to listen, and to speak.
To be me, Meri, for all eternity.
And so…
I shall.
Politeness is treason of our own humanity.
Oceans of Mine 