Let's Kill The Gossip Poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

I wish I could turn each page,
Of that book.
That book I am told,
About me so easy to read.
And who approved it with edits.
To have the readers believe,
What has been said...
Describes me to a 'T'.
Without an 'I' to have me dot.
Or a quote to denote,
Heard from me spoken.

Yet...
Judged is the cover.
But the contents claimed,
To be contained...
I don't recognize at all.
Even my name that has not changed,
Leaves me to wonder why...
When I am introduced,
To someone I have never met.
They become upset to say...
"I expected someone else.
Who are you pretending to be?
Pronouncing your name differently.
Much differently than the others."

-The 'others'?
Like who? -

"You know.
The ones who know you from head to toe.
Staring at us."

-I have never seen them before.-

"They told me you would say that.
When they dared me to talk with you."

-Well...
At least you did more,
Than judge a book by its cover.
You actually became curious enough,
To open it.
And then to discover something,
They found no time to do for themselves.-

"Oh?
And what was that? "

-Fearing curiosity will kill,
Both the gossip and the 'cat'.
And the contents of the book,
Has nothing to do...
With whoever covers it with judgement passed! -

"Hmmm.
We have more in common,
Than I thought.
Let's discover what's under our covers."

-Meaning? -

"Let's kill the gossip.
And keep that 'cat'...
Alive for as long as we like."