Listening

 19th April 2021

Continuing to attempt NaPoWriMo. 

 here's my response 

to the  prompt to write a poem in answer

 to one of the "chpaters from Susan G.

 Wooldridge’s Poemcrazy: Freeing Your Life with Words" 

 I  chose - "listening to ourselves" 

How are You?

How are you? 

                                          A simple greeting,                           SIMPLE

most of us use it.

What does it mean? 

Is it really asking 

the question, 

                                            or is it code                                  CODE

to be deciphered.

Does it require 

an answer?

The Irish will say,

expecting it 

                                                 mirrored back,                               MIRROR

"How'r ya..." 

which , translated,

means, hello, hi there, or good day.

So often, "how are you?"

is short for,

                                             hello, nice to see you,                      HELLO           

but please don't 

actually tell me,

I don't want to know,

 how you are,

I haven't got time 

to listen to you today. 

But occasionally,

with upspeak tone,

and a soft pause,

 we hear the question 

                                                   and know someone                             ANYONE?

 will listen.

Seriously though,

tell me now, 

I've plenty

                                 of time,                        TIME

How are you?