After Do Not Be Ashamed by Wendell Berry
Unashamed
You can mute yourself at will
Or find you've hit mute in error.
On ocassion you might find
someone has muted you.
You can go off camera.
Observe and listen.
Unseen, unheard.
Ocassionally waving in the hope
that you will be called upon
to contribute
to comment
on the wisdom of others.
And after a while, on realising that
you've gone unnoticed, unneeded,
you give yourself permission
to walk away,
to simply listen in
while making a cup of tea.
And after a while, you walk out,
to test your necessity
and you won't be surprised
to find it wanting.
But then
as you return.
as you choose candour,
bear your inward clarity
raise your yellow hand,
as you select unmute, unashamed
click camera, unashamed
and find room, find voice -
then a sure screen will rise
from the margins and their eyes
will seek you out
and the mic is yours.
I recommend the original Do Not Be Ashamed by Wendell Berry https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/browse?contentId=30634
