Decoding civility – A Poem by Snigdha Agrawal

Mouths remain closed
perhaps from fear,
perhaps from long practice

hearts ache quietly,
learning how to hold
what stays unnamed

mind circles its unrest,
wondering what responsibility
means
when silence feels easier
than speech

what do we call justice
when we keep waiting
for it to come from elsewhere?

The line grows faint
between being civil
and simply being
uncertain
of our own courage.