at times
my silence
defines me

when everything
is too fucking
everything all
at the same time

my hand trailing
in the lazy wake
sensing a change
in the undertow

conditioned
to have a danger
sense similar
to the sparrows
feeling fluctuations
in the air pressure
ensuring a swift
retreat to quiet

you learn a lot
about those people
who remain and
even more about
the ones who leave
after an excursion
inemotionalhibernation

saint patrick’s day
is a good reminder
to keep your island
free of those serpents

the ones who
spend their time
defining others