Cowards in plain sight

They are here

Around us

Not silent

Or meek

But withholding

Living out loud

Sharing of themselves

Apparently all but

They hold back

At the most crucial of times

Mislabeling openness

Stubbornness

For vulnerablity

They keep giving

Thinking that will do

But when the challenges

Big

Or small

Arise

They don't

They can fight

They can walk away

But are afraid of the in between

Thinking others don't notice

Or the unanswered questions are missed

But they cower in the light

Bold enough to speak

But not enough to answer

The easy questions

Or the hard ones

How is your family

Will you marry me

Are met with the same non answer

But they think they are brave

Because they risked themselves

They leapt from rooftops to rooftop 

And said they were brave

But that one blind step

That short leap of faith

They froze

Because the landing was not so clear

They'd leap a hundred feet 

If they saw the target

But would not step out their door

With their eyes closed

Cowards

All of them

You think them brave

But they are cowards

Hiding in plain sight 

©johnfklee