Ostomy Memories of Verbosity

SOME PEOPLE JUST TALK TOO MUCH.  Maybe they like the sound of their own voice; maybe they believe that an excess of verbiage gives their speech more credibility; or perhaps it simply never occurs to them that their audience may not be as fascinated with what they’re saying as they are.  Too often, this type of person spews out two bushels of chaff in which there may be but one or two grains of wheat, neither of which is worth much anyway, if you can discover their whereabouts.   Many public figures, politicians and other office holders are guilty of the sin of verbosity.  They seem to think that, given the microphone, they ought to gush out whatever occurs to them, a stream of consciousness that can drown their listeners with excess and irrelevant monotony.  Any message they had hoped to convey becomes lost in the waves.  There is a time element to consider as well.  If the speechifier has a schedule, he’s going to get behind quickly and therefore all those impacted by his lack of time management skill will suffer.  Lawyers, inveterate talkers, too often forget the lesson that being succinct may be more convincing than longwindedness.  When I read some of Clarence Darrow’s courtroom arguments, I was amazed at how interminable they were.  Of course, where lawyers are concerned, they sometimes seem to be working on the principle that you can’t lose while you’re still talking.

Hello HenryM.

There are those you refer to and there are those who don't have the opportunity, capacity or ability to talk or give 'voice' to what is inside. The latter population needs help to educe their inner thoughts and make sense of what it is they wish to say.
My book for this year is entitled 'Portrait Poetry', and tries to show how this process of enabling ordinary people to have their say can be a achieved through this particular art form.

Best wishes

Bill

 Henry and Bill

I say THANKS for your posts - I so enjoy reading them over my morning coffee - and I feel as tho I learn something from both - not necessarily on the same morning 🤓

There’s a guy at work that tells the same thing to anyone that stops long enough to listen, annoying AF. I usually make him sit on another engine. 🤭