There were snow drifts in the
Afternoon sky, but the cold
Has chased even them away,
Leaving the stars naked
But for the almost warm glow
Of the city.

I was there for the goodbyes
And the free jukebox, and
I am here for the atmosphere
And the lack of silence before
I drift on to the quiet
Emptiness of home.

Somehow, the unrelenting winter
Did not quicken my pace
As I wandered from nowhere
To nowhere else; from one edge
To another; from obscurity
To invisibility.

This is where I come when
I want to be ignored; when
I want to be alone without
Being alone. From this darkened
Corner, I can see everything
Without being seen.

These people should be my peers,
Yet we have nothing to say
To one another. We do not
Even inhabit the same world.
The lights near me are all
Dark, as if this corner has been
Saved for me, away from
Everyone else.

Familiar faces beget hugs;
The only arms around me
Are those of my shirt
And jacket. Tomorrow, it will
Be different, but for now
There is only me, drifting
Unseen through an empty sea
Of unfamiliar faces.

01/09/2009

Posted on 01/09/2009
Copyright © 2025 Richard Vince