Nope, not those brave souls on their way to martyrdom,

I’m talking about those other brave souls who are the first to comment in a group chat or social network.

What do they feel, after typing back a witty response to someone’s post before anyone else, then get crickets from the audience?

Are they ashamed no one else chimed in?
I mean there’s real fear in that silence.

Right?!

The plague of thoughts creep in,
like “why did I even respond to this leper,
their only going to ruin my ‘soash cred’ ” (social credibility for those not in the know).

Or,

it’s someone so on the O.P.’s  side (Original Poster) and they’re like “I don’t even, about crickets, O.P.’s my boy!”

and that’s the way I like to look upon
those first responders.