Get Along

Simple, really. Get along.
As much as it depends on you,
just bite your tongue or look
the other way. Return a smile
or kindness, let the other hurtful
comments and behavior go,
ignore the source. Breathe deeply,
count to ten. Keep hatefulness
inside -- it only hurts the other
person once it's spoken, after all,
and then it's done, and so much
time and energy are needed to
repair the damage. I understand
what drove the King of Glory to
throw up his hands (if hands he
has) and wish he hadn't even
started with this people thing.
Let the Flood remove all remnants
of the human race, their snarkiness
and lack of gratitude, that stubborn
bent to negativity and sin. But then,
eternity would be so very boring.
So here we are, all ornery at times
and those who care are often tempted
to throw up their hands and call
it quits as well. It's simple, really.
Get along. Just get along. And if you
can't, you've tried and tried and
they won't let you, get away and find
the space to breathe and think and
settle back into a person you can
live with, someone who has not
forgotten, altogether, how to smile.


(c) Ellen Gillette, 2014