The room was open.

The notice was posted.

The chairs sat waiting,

but you said nothing.

You said only one meeting,

only one vote,

only one small thing.

The gavel fell,

to an empty room.

Later, you screamed!

How did this happen?

Why didn’t anyone stop them?

But when your voice was needed,

you were nowhere to be found,

because it didn’t matter,

when it mattered.

Kristin Dallison

Bayfield