Today’s prompt was to write a poem that incorporates “the sound of home.” I had to think back to my childhood, and the figures of speech and particular ways of talking that the people around me used, and which may not be heard anymore. Write a poem that speaks the language of home, and not the language of adulthood, office, or work.

I didn’t know where this poem was going when I started writing. Having grown up in a “shaming culture”, these stigmas are all ones I have worked hard to break. and so my perspective was trapped within these lines for many years.

Stigmas

“Land of Goshen, child! Don’t you ever sit still?!”
“Have you even brushed your hair this week?!”
“Why are you wearing that outfit?”

“Oh for pity’s sake, don’t you ever sit still?!”
“You beat to your own drum!”
“Well, I’ll tell you this: if you were my daughter, I’d put you on a diet!”

“Don’t you ever sit still?!”
“Ach du Lieber himmel, you can’t just bing bang the dishes around, you know.”
“Put a little color on your face, your lips are pale.”

“Why don’t you ever sit still?!”
“Oh for goodness sake you dress like a gypsy!”
“Where are your shoes?!”

“Don’t you ever sit still?!”
“You were the only one of all my grandchildren that I ever spanked., dontcha know.”
“Didn’t you just go to the bathroom?”

“DON’T YOU EVER SIT STILL?!”

(Nope. I don’t. Little Drummer Girls never sit still, dontchya know.)