Reading Between Lines
Lawrence S. Pertillar 1947 (Connecticut)
We are living in times,
When many will find any excuse to make...
That places their obligation,
To escape away...
For anything they should be held responsible.
Today,
No one should take what it is heard to hear,
From another to say to others.
With it known to later learn,
What was heard to hear was not meant.
And...
Whoever listened to hear clear their words.
Was told they should,
Have read between the lines.
Of something not mentioned.
But...
Had been their obligation,
To have understood at the time...
Was said to mean.
Yet later told what they had heard,
Should for them to realize...
People who say things to have believed,
Are seldom the people...
To depend on truth to hear from them.
'You knew what I meant when I said it.'
'What was it that you said?
That I did not hear as clear as you meant.'
'Read between the lines.
Hints and clues I gave to you.
What else did you expect?
Clarity?
Purpose and understanding?
Then what?
Evidence and proof,
I knew what I was telling you?'
'I...uh...
I must admit,
Conversations I normally have...
Not often am I handed,
A script to prepare for it.'
'Well...
You can not blame me,
If you were not there when it occurred to me...
I meant something else to say.'
'And...
I am the one you call crazy?'
'There you go,
Trying to make it personal.'
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Submitted by lpahtillah on April 15, 2022
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:28 min read
- 5 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | xxabc bxxxdExxfegaxxxxxcx h xd fixjxgxi xhxxh xjjb Ej xx |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic trimeter |
Characters | 1,299 |
Words | 296 |
Stanzas | 9 |
Stanza Lengths | 5, 19, 1, 2, 8, 5, 4, 2, 2 |
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"Reading Between Lines" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 5 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/124916/reading-between-lines>.
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