Hi, how are you?

you say "Hi, how are you?"
I say "I'm fine and how are you?"

inside I may be dying
you look but you are blind
nothing unpleasant you wish to find

it's a howdy do and we're though
that gauntlet of the blue
besides there's nothing you've time to do

it's like a hello or goodbye
we do it bye and bye
we'll do it till we die
a way to pass the passerby
without engaging, so we lie

"Hi, how are you?"
"I'm fine and how are you?"
it's just something that we do

"we'll catch up another time"
"oh yes, that would be fine"
we both know we're lying

If we didn't I might know you



Written by Scott Schoffstall
©  January 25, 2011
all rights reserved
http://www.poeticsojourn.com/the-sojourner.html