Sarcastic Wit Poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

I once convinced myself,
I could curb my sarcastic wit.
And for all of ten minutes,
I tolerated my enforced patience.
Hoping the expressions in my eyes...
With an eyebrow lift,
Would deliver my thoughts...
Without them coming through my lips.

But the torment shown on my face,
Could not erase the smoke slowly emitting...
From my ears.

And when it was mentioned to me,
My eyeballs look as if they would pop out of my head...
And my face was beginning to turn beet red?
Well...
Immediately I panicked.
Black folks are not known to turn beet red!
I was not prepared to become a phenomenon.
OR a statistic.

I realized for health reasons,
It is better for me to be sarcastic.
Than to pass out to accomplish the impossible...
By attempting to keep my mouth closed.
Instead of freely saying to another...
What it is I have to say.
Since I am not into rolling eyes...
Or speaking out of both sides of my mouth.

Like some folks I know,
Afraid that being direct...
May effect their standing in gosssip circles.
And who have popularized,
The 'look away as they speak'...
Delivery when communicating.
And...
They are quite comfortable in the doing.