By Meera Venkatesan
The Bard:
Two antonyms meet, separated by space,
Each bursting to present their case,
One came alone towing the power of the unsaid,
The other announced by words that walked ahead,
O wise ones who are eager to hear the debate,
Be ready to hold the thoughts they will create,
As the verses, unuttered and eloquent face off,
Catch the pain that wafts from their inner thoughts.
Introvert:
Friendly faces, cheery grins, words, and noises,
Trivially significant, a haze of voices.
Events that transpired, plans in the pipeline,
Unpredictably predictable, a cloud benign.
Emphatic opinions, clear judgment,
Harmless prosecutions, just a refreshment?
I find myself, right in the middle,
My thoughts are a layer, forming a bubble.
The words are a buzz, I cannot connect,
I keep quiet, what I do best.
Why should I speak, when words don't matter?
Why should I connect, above the chatter?
“Don't be shy, exit your shell”,
I am encouraged, they mean well.
“Raise your voice, speak your mind,
Be heard, or be left behind.”
They doubt, "What are you thinking, I don't have a clue.
Ah! You hate me, I always knew!”
“Is she just quiet, without a will to speak?
Or quite foolish with thoughts too weak?
Is she arrogant, turning away her cheek?
Or just condescending, always a critique?
Some would say, she thinks she is unique!
While others opine, she is just a freak.”
What about me? Which label do I seek?
Pause a moment, take a leap,
Beyond the chatter where voices sleep.
Peer into my grey matter to discover,
The quietened words, my unuttered verse.
Verses that do not burst to speak out,
Verbiage that choose to remain clipped,
The words often unsaid, or maybe just unheard,
An introvert’s bubble extends beyond the word.
Communication is celebrated, gift of gab is venerated,
Orb of silences are ignored and often denigrated,
Just this once, stop to look beyond the surfaces,
And stem your eloquence to listen to my unuttered verses.
Extrovert:
Friendly faces, cheery grins, words, and noises,
Adrenalin raising, so many choices,
Events that transpired, plans in the pipeline,
What will happen next, it's cloud nine.
Emphatic opinions, clear judgement,
Empty silences are redundant!
I find myself, right in the middle,
Soaked with energy I glow and sizzle.
So many things to hear, many more to say,
Smiles connect, words are out to play,
The world is huge, filled with choices,
Why should I shy away from the masses?
“Hold your horses, stop to think”,
I am cautioned, they mean well,
“Don’t dominate, leave some space,
There are others too in the race.”
They judge, "You are quiet, that's not like you,
Ah! You hate me, I always knew!
Is she just dominating, crushing the weak?
Or quite weak, not perceptive so to speak?
Is she flighty, floating from peak to peak?
Does she even care if she misspeaks?
Some would say, she is a bully, she browbeats,
While others opine, she is a wannabe chic.”
What about me? Which label do I seek?
Look beyond my words before you leap,
Past the torrent, where voices sleep,
Peer into my grey matter to discover,
The cloaked vulnerability lying under
Feelings expressed, waiting for acceptance,
Fountains of words, confused for frivalance,
Fragility unsaid and often just unseen,
An extroverts balloon, limited by the world.
Gravitas is celebrated, energies of silence venerated,
Omnipresent chatter ignored and often denigrated,
Just this once stop to look beyond the surfaces,
Find the feelings behind my eloquent verses.
The Bard:
Are they 2 sides of the same coin?
Are they points separated by time and thought?
Are they figments of different imaginations?
Are they doomed to be different, Antonyms?
My dear listeners, my thoughts I submit,
They are closer than they would admit,
What else are they seeking, but an emotion,
A need, an intention, a connection,
Souls seeking in this expanse, their place,
Of love, and respect, each in different ways.