Poem: "Put Your Power on the Table"
Oct. 14th, 2026 10:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithThis poem is spillover from the September 1, 2026 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from dialecticdreamer. It also fills the "making friends" square in my 9-1-26 card for the Life Events Bingo Fest. This poem has been sponsored by Anthony Barrette. It belongs to the Aquariana thread of the Polychrome Heroics series.
"Put Your Power on the Table"
[Monday, October 3, 2016]
"You want me to what?"
Aida squeaked, staring.
"I would like for you
to serve as a diplomat,"
said President Latheef.
"Your experience in
oceanography and
superpowers would
be quite valuable."
"I know that you offer
government positions
to soups as a bonus for
moving to the Maldives,
but you've already got me,"
said Aida. "You don't
need to butter me up."
"We're not buttering you up,
we're offering an opportunity for
mutual benefit," said Khadijah.
"Because I speak English?"
Aida asked, grasping for ideas.
"No, no," said President Latheef.
"That is a valuable skill, but I have
many others with it. English is
required at our university."
"Oh, right," said Aida.
"Then why on Earth me?
You must have people for
this who are older and
better trained at it."
"I do, but older people
have more fixed opinions,"
said President Latheef. "Those
who will live in the world to come
should have a voice in creating it."
Aida couldn't argue with that one.
It was one of the reasons why she
studied oceanography -- so that
she'd still have oceans with
fish in them later in her life.
"I'm not sure I'd be good
at diplomacy," she said.
"I'm not very diplomatic.
I tend to irritate people, and
it's hard to talk them into things."
"Diplomacy is not merely talking
somebody into something; it's talking
to somebody from a position of strength,"
said President Latheef. "You put your power
on the table to open up the conversation;
that's diplomacy. That's what we need."
All right, Aida had used her superpower
as a conversation opener before, but
she didn't do it often -- especially
after what China had pulled.
"I can talk to my friends and
sometimes convince them to do
what I want," she said, "but I'm not
sure that's what you're getting at.
"Diplomacy is much more than just
talking to your friends," said Khadijah.
"You've also got to talk to people
who aren't our friends, and even
people you dislike. That seems
like something you'd be good at."
Aida nodded slowly. "When you
put it like that, yes," she agreed.
"I've done that sort of thing before."
"Besides, maybe you'll make
some new friends," said Khadijah.
She had certainly done that, and
was well known for her connections.
"Hmm," Aida said thoughtfully.
Diplomats got to meet all kinds of
world leaders, public figures, and
other important people. That could
offer lots of leverage for protecting
the ocean. "That's a good point."
"Well, how about a trial period?"
President Latheef offered. "We
choose two events for the ocean
and two for superpowers. You
do your best with them. Then
we meet to discuss results. If
you hate it, then we won't pester
you to keep doing diplomacy."
"It's not a bad idea to test
things," Aida agreed. "Still,
I have no training for this!"
"You're a Finn," he said dryly.
"That's good enough for me.
However, any classes you would
like to take for diplomatic reasons
will be, of course, covered as
part of your explorations in this."
He certainly knew how to bait a hook.
"All right," said Aida. "I'll give it a try,
but only four events -- and they
have to fit around my schedule!"
"Excellent," Khadijah said with
a smile. "Let's match our calendars."
* * *
Notes:
"Diplomacy is not merely talking somebody into something; it's talking to somebody from a position of strength. You put your power on the table to open up the conversation; that's diplomacy."
-- Daniel Fried
"Diplomacy is much more than just talking to your friends... You've got to talk to people who aren't our friends, and even people you dislike."
-- Richard Armitage
"Rigor, Innovation, Accessibility, and Accountability" 5-9-24
Story Date: Monday, September 12, 2016
Summary: Aida and her think tank explore ways to improve the Maldives.
"The Living Riot of a Coral Reef" 12-6-22
Story Date: Wednesday, September 21, 2016
Summary: Shiv, Alicia, Aida, and Steel work on a set of coral reef structures.
dialecticdreamer. It also fills the "making friends" square in my 9-1-26 card for the Life Events Bingo Fest. This poem has been sponsored by Anthony Barrette. It belongs to the Aquariana thread of the Polychrome Heroics series."Put Your Power on the Table"
[Monday, October 3, 2016]
"You want me to what?"
Aida squeaked, staring.
"I would like for you
to serve as a diplomat,"
said President Latheef.
"Your experience in
oceanography and
superpowers would
be quite valuable."
"I know that you offer
government positions
to soups as a bonus for
moving to the Maldives,
but you've already got me,"
said Aida. "You don't
need to butter me up."
"We're not buttering you up,
we're offering an opportunity for
mutual benefit," said Khadijah.
"Because I speak English?"
Aida asked, grasping for ideas.
"No, no," said President Latheef.
"That is a valuable skill, but I have
many others with it. English is
required at our university."
"Oh, right," said Aida.
"Then why on Earth me?
You must have people for
this who are older and
better trained at it."
"I do, but older people
have more fixed opinions,"
said President Latheef. "Those
who will live in the world to come
should have a voice in creating it."
Aida couldn't argue with that one.
It was one of the reasons why she
studied oceanography -- so that
she'd still have oceans with
fish in them later in her life.
"I'm not sure I'd be good
at diplomacy," she said.
"I'm not very diplomatic.
I tend to irritate people, and
it's hard to talk them into things."
"Diplomacy is not merely talking
somebody into something; it's talking
to somebody from a position of strength,"
said President Latheef. "You put your power
on the table to open up the conversation;
that's diplomacy. That's what we need."
All right, Aida had used her superpower
as a conversation opener before, but
she didn't do it often -- especially
after what China had pulled.
"I can talk to my friends and
sometimes convince them to do
what I want," she said, "but I'm not
sure that's what you're getting at.
"Diplomacy is much more than just
talking to your friends," said Khadijah.
"You've also got to talk to people
who aren't our friends, and even
people you dislike. That seems
like something you'd be good at."
Aida nodded slowly. "When you
put it like that, yes," she agreed.
"I've done that sort of thing before."
"Besides, maybe you'll make
some new friends," said Khadijah.
She had certainly done that, and
was well known for her connections.
"Hmm," Aida said thoughtfully.
Diplomats got to meet all kinds of
world leaders, public figures, and
other important people. That could
offer lots of leverage for protecting
the ocean. "That's a good point."
"Well, how about a trial period?"
President Latheef offered. "We
choose two events for the ocean
and two for superpowers. You
do your best with them. Then
we meet to discuss results. If
you hate it, then we won't pester
you to keep doing diplomacy."
"It's not a bad idea to test
things," Aida agreed. "Still,
I have no training for this!"
"You're a Finn," he said dryly.
"That's good enough for me.
However, any classes you would
like to take for diplomatic reasons
will be, of course, covered as
part of your explorations in this."
He certainly knew how to bait a hook.
"All right," said Aida. "I'll give it a try,
but only four events -- and they
have to fit around my schedule!"
"Excellent," Khadijah said with
a smile. "Let's match our calendars."
* * *
Notes:
"Diplomacy is not merely talking somebody into something; it's talking to somebody from a position of strength. You put your power on the table to open up the conversation; that's diplomacy."
-- Daniel Fried
"Diplomacy is much more than just talking to your friends... You've got to talk to people who aren't our friends, and even people you dislike."
-- Richard Armitage
"Rigor, Innovation, Accessibility, and Accountability" 5-9-24
Story Date: Monday, September 12, 2016
Summary: Aida and her think tank explore ways to improve the Maldives.
"The Living Riot of a Coral Reef" 12-6-22
Story Date: Wednesday, September 21, 2016
Summary: Shiv, Alicia, Aida, and Steel work on a set of coral reef structures.
