The Introvert
The Introvert
Consider the ants, forget not the bees
Their underground empires and hives in the trees
You tread 'cross the surface, not realizing they're there
You see the hives hanging, but know not the lair
Constructed within, where tunnels run deep
Where kingdoms are ruled by those who don't sleep
The tiniest beings all working as one;
Architects of destiny are never quite done
They speak with the others, then go on their way
They’re much less productive the longer they stay
But outside of bees, and ants underground
Their counterpart beings exist to confound
All those unlike them - the wilder world
Who seek to make sense of why they’d be curled
Up on a couch and pondering life
Than “living it up” on Saturday nights
The reticent puzzle is not meant to be solved,
But the world around - by the deeply involved:
The ones with their faces buried in books
Or lost deep in thought than focused on looks
But for those who aren’t sure and seek just to know
How to be with these people if words do not flow
Lend me your ear, for there are two kinds:
The awkwardly quiet, and those you will find
Out and about, and blending in well
Then not see for a while once they’ve said “farewell”
But type-case them not, for none are the same
You don't know the person, you just know their name.
The silent one speaks in stillness not words
Use only your ears and all goes unheard
But sense with the spirit, perceive with the mind
And all that is sought appears in due time
Mistake not their silence for nothing to say
For motionless tongues dance mental ballets
When the curtain is up, and you can't see behind
Their ballet plays on, its existence defined
By not what you see, or hear, or assume
But how long you'll wait for the seed just to bloom
And if you don't see that seed growing tall
Remember its roots - how deeply they crawl
You could dig it up to look underneath
But why be the blade when you could be its sheath?
Protecting the one with thoughts running deep
Who dwell in the peace of Solitude's Keep
To live in the mind is to strengthen the soul
But live on the lips, and gone is control.
The other kind blends in exceedingly well
They’ll drink with you, laugh with you, have stories to tell
But keep them too long, or see them too often
And the strength of your bond will seem like it’s softened
But don’t worry, friend, they just need some time
To do things alone and recharge their mind.
When they are ready, you’ll see them again
And things will resume as things were back then.
So learn from the ants, forget not the bees
And if you feel lost, then think upon these
To guide you in times the simple’s complex
When concavities perplex the Convex
Each one of us, we crave stimulation
Or are banished to boredom and total sedation
The introvert’s fire comes from within
Fueled by ideas and concepts than din.
And like the bee’s hive, although it looks small
It’s massive inside - an abyss in a ball.
So if they seem distant, or your paths haven’t crossed
Just let them be, for not all who wander are lost.
- A. J. Darkholme