Incessant Interviewing

When curiosity breaks limits,

forays into areas forbidden,

like the personal lives of others,
it turns useless but dangerous.

It is tough for those

with difficulty discriminating

the personal and private,
to hold it back when inappropriate.

They bombard even mere strangers

with questions innumerable;

irksome questions, unsettling questions,

probing questions, all sorts of questions

about private matters.

Some cultures so ingrain it in the psyche

of individuals that they consider it integral
to socializing, an expression of solidarity.

Rumours thrive as all this data gathered

are processed in the confines of

the dark ditches for minds

that value these worthless data precious,

even essential to  existence
and spread around generously.

Some even think it is social service;

this collection of personal information

circulation of it without any qualms

at violating the privacies and rights of others.

One should forever be alert,

to identify the advances of

the insatiable prying noses. 

To resist, to fend oneself off,

to be ready with the right responses,

and ward off the pests who come

to dig up your past, survey the present

and foresee a bleak future all in service

for you, to warn, to counsel, and to prepare you

out of sheer goodness of heart.

Silence Intrigues

Your prolonged silence upsets the rhythm

of my existence but you go on unaware

or that is what my troubled self feels.

The queer nagging I experience is tough

to endure, let alone be transformed into words.

You may perhaps flare up if I attempt to speak up.

Afraid, apprehensive,I hold back my anguish,

wondering if you would feel the same pangs;

imagining planned reticence behind my seeming silence.

My turbulent mind makes survival a taxing endeavour. 

Lecturer, Beware.

Words pour forth in affected accent,

sentences begin but fail to end,

they go meandering, losing track

in labyrinthine word jungles.

Ideas play hide and seek.

Clarity and coherence sacrificed

in favour of theoretical jargon.

Mindless chanting of technical terms.

Mechanical speech, lacking logical sequencing.

Mere words bombard on the listeners' strained ears,

their spans of attention stretched beyond elasticity

suffer incessant tears.

The innumerable ‘hences’ ‘becauses’

‘et ceteras’ bundled with erroneous tag questions

and interspersed ambiguous expressions

end up revolting their linguistic sensibilities.

The lifeless word emission is proof

the speaker does not comprehend the speech.
Grave injustice it is to the hapless ones 
who look forward to learning from you.