The After-Sound

Your hands kept moving during the meeting—

adjusting the pen, then the notebook,

then the pen again.

When you spoke, the room didn't lean in.

The room leaned back.

Everyone found their notebooks

suddenly very interesting.

They went a different direction.

A better one. You can admit that now

without your chest tightening.

Someone sent the revised plan to everyone but you.

They forgot, probably.

Or they didn't forget.

It doesn't matter which.

You're not even angry.

That's the worst part.

You're just aware of yourself sitting there,

taking up space that could have held

something smarter.