Gossip
From Sawiki
In almost every Army hall
There is a person, short or tall,
Who sees and knows and hears it all;
And when he gets you very near,
Will whisper softly in your ear
Some story of anothex's shame;
And Brother Hearsay is his name.
He never positively knows,
He only heard at So-and-so's,
But gently whispers it to you,
So you can go and whisper, too;
The rumour may be right or wrong -
That's not the point -
If you tell John and John tells Flo,
And Flo tells Sue,
Just see the harm that it can do.
When you hear Brother Hearsay's wail,
Demand the truth of every tale;
Get date and place, and who was there,
Look in his eye and then declare
If it is something he had heard,
You will not listen to a word;
Get in some gospel in your turn,
For that will cause his ears to burn.
However gossips smile or smirk,
They still are doing the devil's work.
William F. Ross
