Hollows

My vertical presence on this planet

does not absolve me

of guilt

of bowing down to power

of spreading myself too thin

resting on unearned laurels

to expand the dimensions

of undeserved success.

You find it distasteful

the compromises that I make

to extend a hollow span

to ambitious eternity.

You would rather revel

in your delicious creativity

splurging on self-designed projects

writing for non-existent readers.

My vertical presence on this planet

discourages stooping down

to encompass the depth

of your self-contained world

lest you sense my despair

and feel the nothingness

let us watch each other from afar

and be grateful for gaps in between.