Oh, Can'T You Hear Me? Poem by Benjamin Feliciano

Two women are talking behind me.
I've turned my headphones up high enough
To block out their voices,
But I can still feel them talking.
The vibrations of their voices hit the back of my head,
Sliding down my neck.
I just want a nap,
But I'm getting assaulted with slices of whose nephew went to prison
And who's marrying who in between the quieter parts of this song.
So instead of playing host to brief slumber,
And a pleasant blur of thoughts,
My mind creates riddles about whether there is more benefit
In unrestrained love for others, or guarding my heart to protect from risk.
I am trying to grow up a little,
And dropp some of this angst off at the Salvation Army,
Let someone else have it for a change.
Hating everything takes too much damn effort,
And I already wake up early for work;
I need the energy to make it through the day.
Plus, I slouch so much from this weight on my shoulders
That my posture is suffering and my back is starting to hurt.
I think I'm going to stand upright today.