The first sound from the south
came out all wrong —
too sharp, too directional,
as if it had borrowed
the northern script.
Up north, a reply arrived
with far too much depth,
clearly meant for the south,
but trying to pass itself off
as something cultured.
The serviette, affronted,
rose like a modest shield.
“Not my job to cover that,”
it muttered in a crisp fold,
yet held its post anyway,
fluttering with judgment.
Under the table,
the cloth felt the sudden fanning.
“Oh no, not again,” it sighed,
ruffling along its hem.
“You make the mess,
I take the blame —
typical.”
The tooter hid behind the serviette,
pretending to study the ceiling.
The burper sat statue‑still,
hand working overtime
in the linen shadows.
Chairs paused.
Cutlery hovered.
The house, long‑suffering,
let the linens argue it out,
as if this north–south confusion
were just another Tuesday.
By dessert, the serviette
had regained its dignity,
the tablecloth had forgiven nothing,
and both culprits sat upright,
each convinced the other
had caused the weather shift,
while the linens whispered
about boundaries and workload
for the rest of the night.
.
-
Author:
crypticbard (Pseudonym) (
Offline) - Published: February 11th, 2026 05:03
- Category: Unclassified
- Views: 11
- Users favorite of this poem: sorenbarrett, Tristan Robert Lange
- In collections: 2026.
Offline)
Comments6
Thanks for the fave @sorenbarrett 🤩🙏🏻🕊️
I take this poem as a satire of politics a personified attack on the mode of governance. Clever wordplay "under the table" the workings of a house. There is discord with geographical boundaries, the weather and wind that blows north to south the different pieces and blame ascribed, hidden feelings beneath feigned forgiveness. All so civil on the surface yet rancor beneath. And in the end a false sense of peace. A most lovely write so well penned a fave
It gets like that on the macro scale as it is in the smallest units of society. Thanks , Soren🕊️🙏🏻
You are most welcome Cryptic I may have been way off with this one my friend but that is what first struck me
very good write with a clothed message , enjoyed
Cheers, Norman 🕊️🙏🏻truly appreciated 😊
welcome my friend
Good write A.
Thanks O🕊️🙏🏻
My friend, I had to laugh at myself first. As an American, “North & South” instantly pulled up Civil War ghosts…which says more about my wiring than your poem. Funny how regions linger in us like that…even when the mess is clearly under the table.
That aside, I’ve seen whole rooms go silent like this…everyone pretending nothing happened while everything happened. The way you let the house “let the linens argue it out” feels painfully familiar. Comedy wrapped around truth. You nailed that balance. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
Well that was an intentional springboard the Mason-Dixon Line and swapping the northern toot with the southern burp. Glad you enjoyed 🙏🏻🕊️
Indeed!
Intriguing words Rik, may all be smooth in time.
Andy
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