Write about an overheard remark

Daily Writing Practice Prompt for Thursday, August 21, 2008 is "Write about an overheard remark."

This is an interesting prompt because it brings to mind a journal exercise I read about once. The idea of the exercise is to help the writer in writing dialog. Anyway, the exercise calls for the writer to go into a public place with a journal or notebook and write down any conversation he or she hears. I have not tried the exercise myself as yet. Mainly because this specific exercise works better in food courts, buffets or bars. I do not go to bars and I seldom go to buffets or food court anymore.

Now to respond to the prompt

An off hand remark
spoken just loud enough to hear
over the noise of the air conditioner.

Although, he said it to her in a stage whisper,
he didn't think anyone else in the house could hear
(and besides he was the guest in her home)
so, of course, we pretended not to hear
until after he had left
and one of us could speak to her privately.

It wasn't that he was a danger to her
or anyone gather there,
it was just that the remark was careless,
thoughtless,
especially after all the work she had went to
to make his stay pleasant,
to make him feel welcome
in a strange city.

That is my response for now, the poem feels like it is finished. I am going to let it lie for a little while before I decide. Sometimes if I let a poem rest, more stanzas come to mind or I find another approach. In this case, the only thing that is not in the poem is the overheard remark and I am not sure that the remark is necessary to the poem.