It broke the silence of the room

Shattering it to pieces

I thought it must be an urgent call

I picked it up with a sigh.

“Now who could it be this hour of the night?”

I murmured to myself

When shrilly a voice called aloud

“Shall I reveal a secret?”

I scratched my head and thought awhile

“Who could it be this hour of the night?”

“Hello,” once again resounded the voice

Until I recollected “Oh this was some friend

Of long ago met and forgotten”

“Yes, hi,” said I and paused awhile,

“I do remember you dear, but why do you

Call so late at night is everything O.K. my dear?”

“Yes, it’s late I know it is but this I must share for sure

Your long lost friend’s daughter has secretly married

A boy she knew before!”

I banged the phone and pulled my hair

Grossly agitated

My mind swirled in and out

At the atrocious jargon related

How dared someone to burst and announce,

Or share a ’secret’ with you

When a personal matter is a private matter

And no one’s business too,

Beware, good friends,

Each one and all

“Don’t lend ears to gossips at all.”

                                                                     ~Shobha Diwakar

                                                                      Jabalpur, India