to be nice

"Avoid contact with all people in whom there is no possible resonance with what touches you most deeply and toward whom you have obligations of 'kindness,' of politeness. Since these obligations engage me strongly as soon as I find myself in the presence of such people and engage me through an ill-fated habit of patience and good-will, which in fact becomes will for humiliation (sometimes abject). Imagine a musician in an orchestra playing off-key because his neighbor is doing so, to be nice"

from Laure's Fragments of a Notebook (1937)

said the empath to the square

when asked,
"how can you listen
to that shit?"

not caring so much
abt him liking what he liked
just wanting him to hear
what he heard

"this is what
it sounds like
all day

even while
yr lips
are closed

even if
god forbid
you mind
yr own
business

even when
yr looking
the other
way

whatever
that is

those things
you hold
at bay
apologize for
kick dirt over
adorn
w/ stray leaves & twigs
for camouflage

those things
scream at me

but not in words
so much
more like
jumbled words
you can't make out

kinda like
this shit
i listen to."

he went on
in spite of
having lost
his friend's
attention
and/or
concern

to explain how
dissonant
chaotic noise
can sound
familiar
comfortable
soothing even

since it doesn't stop
even when he isn't
listening to
that shit.

mmmm chinese buffet