Gossiptown

Have you ever heard of Gossiptown
On the shore of Falsehood Bay,
Where Old Dame Rumor with rustling gown
Is going the livelong Day?

It isn’t far to Gossiptown
For people who want to go,
The Idleness train will take you down
In just an hour or so.

The thoughtless road is crowded, you’ll find,
For most folks start that way;
But it’s all downhill and, if you don’t mind,
You’ll land in Falsehood Bay.

You glide through the valley of Wicked Talk,
And into the tunnel of Hate;
Then, crossing the Bitterness Bridge,
You walk right into the city gate.

The principal street is called “They Say,”
And “I’ve Heard” is the public well,
And the breezes that blow from Falsehood Bay
Are laden with “Don’t You Tell!”

In the midst of the town is Telltale Park-
You’re never quite safe when there;
For its owner is Madame Suspicious Remark,
Who lives on the street “Don’t Care.”

-Anonymous

What a great poem! I wish I could find the person who wrote this poem and who wrote yesterday’s poem Put-Off Town so I could tell them how fabulous I think they are! I love how these poems illustrate the “what not to do” if we want to be happy in life. Just as there is no happiness found in procrastination (aka Put-Off Town), there no happiness to be found in Gossiptown either. Gossiptown has only negativity, hate, and bitterness residing there and only the idle have time to visit.

The best way to avoid ending up in Gossiptown is to stay productive doing positive things…which just so happens to be the same thing that will lead us to Happiness-Land 🙂

~Amy Rees Anderson