This is an attempt to articulate something of how it feels – to me – to be embodied as an introvert. It started as a response to a conversation in which some people seemed to assume that those of us who might struggle to join in with certain activities – dancing in a workshop about peace education, for instance – are less in touch with or less comfortable in our bodies. That didn’t feel true to me – I think it’s not less embodied but differently. I think that so often, there’s more than is seen or told. Would be interested in anyone else’s thoughts on this, though... #worldintrovertday
think, perhaps, of befriending
a crow. I have read it takes time
and a space free of clutter and
noise; and distance and patience
to learn what they love. perhaps
think of mulch—how to hold more
than is seen; how to listen
to worms. I have felt, in the dark,
the beginnings of life. flooding
and droughts and a longing
for snow. I know some of us
dance when no one is watching;
but some days, that too feels
a long way from home. perhaps,
then, walk. here’s something
I’ve found: each leaf is a landscape.
from the honesty box 
Oh this is fabulous!! I don’t count myself as a proper introvert. I don’t handle crowds well, preferring small interactions – coffee with one or two friends. But I definitely love people and like spending time with people and talking to people. But I am married to an introvert. But he has learned to mask it if he wants to. So it doesn’t surprise me that we all make assumptions about other people’s motives and interactions. Until I lived with my husband, I wouldn’t have known how different we are in our level of “need” for interaction with others. Anyway, sorry for the long ramble. I just love your poem. The images are so beautiful and profound.
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Thank you so much. I love interacting with people too (and am lucky to be able to do that with some very interesting people from all over the world as part of my job teaching at a University). But still feel very much like an introvert. Something I’ve found interesting is that I find it much easier to host spaces/conversations for others than to be in ones that don’t leave enough time or space for meaningful exploration. I find it helps to build in silence, time for reflection, balance between individual and shared explorations. It’s interesting too to notice how it affects my approach to writing – easiest in small, private spaces (on a phone screen)…
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