Strangers weave
In and out of my company
Some dodging my favor
Others boldly enduring

How can they withstand
The scorn I emit
At every rugged turn
At every treacherous bend and curve

How can they brave
The dicey roads I lay
Imprisoned, by the toxic wilderness
I reluctantly, hail as my own

Friends dissolve
And flood the gutters of my mind
Harshly rebuked
In heinous word or deed
Ages wither and more stream away
For a slow exodus was the only resolve

I’ll stagger
Drained and contorted
Having frittered all of my company
As punishment for my silent crimes

Who cares for the silent?!
The dormant tongues
That dare not lark humor or insight
Stranded minds cannot prevail
At the helm of oceans
That bustle with trivial verse