03/08/2025
“Gathering”
Slowly they arrive
Trickling down
Onto the page
Each with its own gait
A strut, a saunter, a skip,
Every so often
A handful burst in together
Demanding to be heard
All at once
I receive them as best I can
In between intruders
That I must fend off
Or at least distract
Long enough
To stay present
For the introductions
Not all of these visitors will stay
Maybe half, maybe even fewer
Some will leave by choice
Unable to be heard soon enough
Others will be asked to kindly
(Or not so kindly) excuse themselves
For not belonging
But in the end,
The words that remain
Will be exactly
The right ones
For this fleeting moment.
