I caught a thread of voice,
one that hides in the shadow,
sneaking in times of chaos,
remaining tense for a moment for an outburst.
Stem of the thread was from the past.
“Don’t smile” the voice said, threateningly.
The hatred, the contempt, and the misplaced anger was what I could sense.
I remember the confusion at the moment,
as an assumption unfortunately started to arise
to inaccurately blame myself.
I want to reach out to the child who holds the stem,
and stand between him and the voice
to protect the child and deter the voice.
I’ll tell the child, “smile as much as you like”.
“Look, all there really is behind
the threatening voice is actually
a tiny mouse, trapped in a cage.”
“You deserve to be loved, respected, and understood.”
“Smile. You are loved.”
12.9.2025
Ralph with Coffee 