Poetry with an Explanation: "The Introvert in an Extrovert's World"

The Beer is cold and my mind is clear.

There he sits in his chair.

Facing the brick wall, reading a book, or

listening to the extrovert's converse?

To be recognized as a thinker, or

to be seen -to be around others.

Otherwise why read, sit at home?

Dear sir, are you indulging in who you are, or

are you wishing to be otherwise?

Are you independent or dependent?

Do you face the wall because you thrive in singularity

or do you face the wall to attract -

desperate loneliness?

In our culture the introvert, the thinker, the reader is so misunderstood,and the observer is confounded. Here we worship independence, leadership, and exceptionalism. All terms that imply separation, singularity, introversion. If an American sees one fish swimming separate from a school of fish, they see a leader leading. The Easterner, sees a fish lost -separated from the consensus.

Yet we love to socialize to be connected, face-book, twitter, and sex. For the introvert there is confusion and doubt. I was brought-up to prize independence, but when I spend most of my free time alone I am different, strange, even anti-social!

Do you face the wall in a crowded bar

because you are in a state of flux -

contradiction, paradox, enigma?

What am I, what are you?

A thinker, a reader, independent,

face the wall.

Friendly, passionate, social,

In a crowded bar.

An introvert in an extrovert's world.