Ignored

My husband clapped his hands, 

And all the crows in the fogged field 

Flew up into the air, then settled 

 Down again, as if they’d never moved.

 Applause, that praise some of us long for, 

Can be like that: a brief flutter, some uplifting, 

But then things settle down again 

As if nothing has changed: 

No new horizons opened,

 No self esteem enhanced, but just 

A pleasant memory that fades with time; 

A brief phrase on a resume, 

Buried in a list of accomplishments; 

 Ignored.