Small talk Innocent chatter Idle gossip But the talk isn’t small The chatter isn’t innocent And the gossip isn’t idle We spend our lives talking, chatting and gossiping Always about others but seldom about ourselves What is so important about someone else’s life  That we spend our valuable time Trying to tear them down? Are our lives so uneventful That we must dwell on others’ misfortune? All my life I’ve been taught to tell the truth. “The truth shall set you free!” Bullshit!!! The truth hurts And my heart aches When faced with my own demons. It is so much easier staying mired In small (not so small) talk In innocent (not so innocent) chatter In idle (not so idle) gossip. I find myself hiding Behind the things that matter most to me. I hide behind the fact that I am intelligent Yet allow others to make me feel stupid. I hide behind the fact I am deserving Yet allow others to destroy my worthiness. I hide behind the fact that I live a life of achievement Yet allow others to make my...

I can hear that music playing again  The bass pumped so loud  It vibrates my bathroom  But no one else hears it  I get it, I do.  Falling asleep drunk  With a boombox in your head  That's what it feels like.  You get used to it  That beat rocking every night  It could be a club in your bath tub  If only you had neon lights  But then again  You don't hear it  Anymore  You don't feel it  Anymore  The beat moves without you  From now on,  Since you're an adult  And the tragic nights Pass onward.

It  was a  warm afternoon in the  Nob Hill District on a beautiful spring day,  when  a  new  homeowner  looked thru the tempered glass looking out towards the San Francisco Bay. People leisurely walking below was the sight outside  of  his windowpane,  w hile inside was a quaint abode with a certain quietness  and a rustic   loo k  he  could not  explain.  He  sauntered over to  a  makeshift  bar: a round table covere d in linen, made of cambric and lace.    Despite  his classic attempts to be refined,  his pseudo bar  wobbled all over the place.  His setup consisted of three upright wine glasses  and  an ’84  Châteauneuf-du-Pap e  s trategically planted on a gold dipped tray  alongside a corkscrew made of  scrap.     There would be a celebration  after the last box was unpacked, commemorating his transit to ...

 

 

  Louis Toliver Jr. interviews Louisiana Words Live host, J. Michael Norris, as one of the featured writers of summer 2025. They discuss the importance of Louisiana Words, the Louisiana Words Tour, and Michael's writing & style.