I fight to hold power I don’t possess.
Act like I’m grand lord of the universe
when I’m merely a floating speck. Confess
nothing. Banter meaningless verse and curse
sports teams as if they matter. Cheer liars
and run from fact. Strut as if I deserve
my gifts: heart, lungs, eyes, psyche. My desires
rule me. I deny it. Want all to serve
me. Give nothing back. Only in black night’s
silence, lying alone, deep breathing, ekes
in light -- briefest flash. I block it from sight.
I hear soft whisper. Shake it away. Seek
solace in selfish excuses. Blunder
myself to sleep. Wake to inner thunder.
Roger Armbrust
April 18, 2020
