There was something.
There was something in that bombastic laugh
that set a tingle up my spine,
something not quite right that climbed out from behind your eyes,
incised the benefit of the doubt.
There was something that kept me holding back
long before your strange attack.
Perhaps my intuition,
just knew it wasn’t safe to trust?
You never know
it a small town
just where things lie.
That silly one might
be the daughter of the
richest man in town.
That sweet quiet one
might be carving up the
neighbour to feed to the cat.
The kid you bully
might be the teacher’s pet
or the principal’s kid.
Or both.
The athletic one you praise
might be a wash out tomorrow.
The artsy one
might become the town’s
favourite son.
The know-it-all nerd
may buy out your business.
You might decide
how people in town
should behave,
and spread gossip far and wide
but be warned.
In a small town,
you never know
who is connected
to whom,
you might be the one
who burns in the inferno
of your words.
.
.
When we moved to a small town, I learned quickly that almost everyone is related to everyone else or has known them forever. The world of social media is turning the entire planet into a small town, and this becomes truer than ever! There is no anonymity on the internet. But the interconnectedness is like the yarn basket after the cats have been playing. You just never know where the strings lead.
Shawn L. Bird 