He said it almost casually
As if
He expected that I knew
Or should know
What was true.
He was a man I had seen, and heard
Many times;
Among his peers, then as now,
Considered a giant;
A success, I guess.
He had an ease about him
Unbefitting, I thought,
A man of such magnitude.
And yet,
There was a seriousness about what he said;
A steel-like glint in his eyes
Betraying the conviction
And the pride.
I had wanted to know,
Surprised at my own presumption
But having gumption
to inquire
Respectfully, of course,
How it was and how it felt
To be a success
In life.
There was, at least to me,
That uneasy pause In time
The silence that follows
The asking of
a stupid question.
But he answered me;
And now I know the silence
Of the moment
Was his mind
At work.
I’ll tell you this, he said, quite clear
That when you reach success, or near
You’ll be the first
And only one
…That ever needs to know.

Sharing is caring!