Shalom Freedman (Troy New York)

And stop this writing and this trying
If I could only give up at last
If I could only resign myself to doing nothing
And to accepting that I will never realize my dream
If I could only be silent
And modest and quiet
And content to say nothing
Forever

If I could only be a good modest quiet humble human being
One of billions born to this earth
Who understands completely his own ultimate namelessness
If I could only be silent and forget all those I cared for
And needed so much to write about
If I could only be silent and do my praying to God
Without writing about it

If I could only be silent
And no longer bother anyone even a single reader
With my pretentions
If I could only be silent
As one day not long I certainly will be

If I could only be silent
As I probably will not be for
So long as I can
However foolishly and self- defeatingly
‘Try'