The Quiet: A Poem From Morgan Harper Nichols

An excerpt from a poem by Morgan Harper Nichols.

This week’s poem is about self-care. Because romance isn’t just about others; it’s about how you treat myself.

I found this poem after battling severe allergies for a few days. To be honest, my health is still rocked by the weather changes where I live But reading this poem makes me think about how words occupy space. The beauty and weight of language in a quiet moment.

Imagine this: you are in a room with no one but a poet on stage. You can hear a needle drop. Everyone’s breath. And then they read their verse. Suddenly, breathing becomes more than just yours. It’s a congregation. Intentional. Heavy.

You and them and everyone else feel their humanity deeper. Emotions sink, dwell, and linger during the verse shared. Their presence becomes magnified. Bigger than life. Imagine Ms. Nichols reading this poem to the crowd, the words growing roots in your veins:

You are worth

the quiet moment.

You are worth

the deeper breath.

You are worth

the time it takes

to slow down,

be still

and rest.

Growing up, I had dreams of being a rockstar. Of commanding presence on a stage with a dark romantic outfit, coaxing my average mezzosoprano voice out, fans going crazy. But lately, I’ve been thinking… poets are rockstars too. The OG ones, in fact. We culled from the quiet. We shared our wisdom. We were the musicians, with our lutes and other musical instruments, back in the day.

I’ve been listening to the quiet more. Opening the veil a bit more and letting mystery back into my life. And this poem reminds me the power of going still. Of resting. After all, we can only go so fast for so long.

Next week is March—so you know what that means. A new poetry theme. Because it’s Women’s History Month, I’ll be sharing poems about feminism, equal rights, and other poems about gendered expectations. Thank you for reading. Choose love and peace y que te cuides 🤍