When the Ego Quiets

Few people notice you in the way

they fail to see the storm cloud

when it does not emit lightning.

Fewer people listen

because you lose the urge to roar—

thunder does not sound

without a lightning flash.

So, you put your self back on and utter,

half-removed, unfamiliar,

and many see you sputter, but still

do not lend an ear

because the storm cloud’s flare

is without its force,

and though its current reaches,

its thunder does not please—

it will not carry the lies

the other craves. 

Sky Island Journal, Issue 20, Spring 2022