If you are told you've been impertinent,
It doesn't mean your comments don't pertain.
Indeed it means they have been relevant,
And to the listener, they've caused a strain.
There is a chance of course you have been rude.
More likely though you've irked authority
And sparked in it a harsh, parental mood,
And a desire to guard territory.
So: insubordinate is what you've been,
Presuming to be level with the boss.
The power wants you docile like some moss.
Let us suggest then that 'impertinent'
Is rather, roundabout, a compliment.
Copyright 2010 Hans Ostrom
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
and I'm thinking about dumping 'pity' for 'compassion'