POEM - Not Private, Just Boring

It was hilarious
Not laugh-out-loud hilarious
But so odd
Catching me cross-ways
Out of left field
Perspective restructuring
Type of hilarious
That statement floating my way

"I know y'all are private people"

Huh, so that's the prevailing opinion
The vibe that's transmitting
The tenor and tone we radiate
A sketch
Construct
Classification

I get it

Private may be how it looks
Especially to certain circles
That overlap intermittently
In an awkward vin diagram
Of interconnected space
Where our general pension for silence
Intersects with their addiction to divulging
Regardless of the occasion
Ever tiny detail
And every ache and pain
Juicy tidbit
Randy scandal
Weather pattern
Car tip
Recipe
Driving direction
And life history
On queue
Triggered on our part
By any nod or noise
Intended or accidental

But it isn't privacy that drives the silence

Private is what people call it
When you don't do your part
To fill in the empty space
Posture unasked opinions
Relate personal histories
Engage in any discussion
Regardless of your involvement
And do it all with a smile
The smile is what does it
Makes it so they can see you

But rather it is something else

Any of a list of other characteristics
A litany of personally cherished traits
Of misunderstood flavors
Shy
Indifferent
Withdrawn
Introverted
Distracted
Polite
Trying not to be rude
Avoiding participation
Being a peacemaker
Or just refraining from it all
Because no one really asked
To take on my burdens
And I'm not looking to hand them over
And I'm sure they have their own to carry

"Well, not really private...
       Just sort of boring"