PEOPLE

A Message to Readers: You may find yourself denying this, as I have for years, but we need other people in our lives. Not a large number, maybe just one. We need them so that someone can hear us. In solitude, there is no warmth, no understanding, because we distort reality and are harsh on ourselves. The unfortunate thing is, despite knowing about this need, we are not good listeners. We want to be heard, but we do not do this for others close to us. While you read this poem, think about that.

(Photograph from Pexels)

In a room crowded with the faceless,

Conversations melt into incoherence,

The stench of spirit settles in low,

As I take a seat, nodding without thought.

 

Desperate voices yearn to be heard,

Of loves lost, hearts broken, revenge exacted,

Grabbing onto thin air, arms fall to the sides,

People slip away, switch sides, oblivious.

 

A bottle of wine rolls off the table,

The shattering sound interrupting,

In the silence that ensues, we stare,

Questioningly, at one another.

 

A girl studies the moment she captured

The picture that takes up space, but

Means nothing, safekeeps only distraction

Of those not caring, not attending.

 

Take away the spilt alcohol and food,

Turn off the music with no real notes,

Switch the light back on, open the window,

What do you really see?

 

People, wanting nothing more

Than to be seen, acknowledged.

People, who want what they

Cannot put effort into themselves.