to be courteous <br />to this society where i live <br />i pocket my smile <br />i swallow my pride <br /> <br />you see me chewing a gum <br />and you order me <br />to swallow it <br />because you don't like seeing me <br />chewing this mint <br /> <br />i swallow it <br />in your name <br />and behave as though nothing happened <br /> <br />no i will not tell anybody <br />i will not tell about you or your name <br />i will not retaliate <br /> <br />i will just write <br />this poem <br /> <br />if you call this a poem at all <br />this shame <br />and this shamelessness of you<br /><br />RIC S. BASTASA<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/to-be-courteous/
