Poem: Hearing Red as Blue

Things are not as they seem . . . even things that are as they seem are not as they seem.

Hearing Red as Blue If you’ve ever listened to your recorded voice     and heard yourself         as others hear you             and thought it wasn’t you I propose it’s because you hear yourself from outside     as well as inside         as you speak the words A unique perspective Stay with me, there’s a point I’ll try to make When you’re misunderstood and frustrated     that they don’t get the point         that seems so clear The same strange happenstance probably applies     And not so strange perhaps,         if you think about it Your conversation coming from that inside-place     where what’s meant         isn’t always heard Our intentions may be hidden deep inside and layered     with endless complication,         paintings over paintings,             a collage of mystery                 we hardly understand ourselves Small wonder why, as we persist in saying white     that they keep hearing black,         or gray on a good day Mixed messages, with an inside and outside, like a voice You deserve a thoughtful conclusion from this theory     and I’ve none to give,         sorry about that, forgive me Took me a long time to get this far and yet I hope     you agree it may be true,         unless it’s red, or blue             depending on how you hear it So draw your own conclusion and let me know I’ll likely get it wrong and hear you differently

This poem is included in Jim Freeman's poetry collection THE SMELL OF TWEED AND TOBACCO available here in print or as an e-Book in your favorite formats.