The Fearful

Who lacks the courage to lift the shutter?

I shouted – ‘I lack the courage, Sir.’

I was honest.

Upon hearing me, the continuous chatter stopped,

The silence in the room became unbearable,

My name was conveniently in the braves’ list.

The hungry lions were uneasy.

It seemed I was the only one who 

Lacked the courage to open the lions’ cage.

My eyes scanned the brave faces in the room,

There was fear writ on each one of them,

Those brave ones sat rooted,

To their seat in dread of the next call;

After my confession

They could not admit they weren’t brave.