Foot In Mouth Disease Poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

My foot in mouth disease has healed.
Now when I speak...
I make sure my feet are ready to flee.

Standing alone,
And implanted in my own beliefs...
Has taught me a lot about diction!

I mumble what I say to quickly walk away.
Leaving anyone to wonder,
Whether or not I had offended.

And those greetings I receive,
The next time I meet with anyone...
Are more acceptable and less intriguing.

I've learned that one's speech understood,
And flawless with punctuated emphasis...
Can condemn an intelligence perceived.