See Me, Hear Me

See Me, Hear Me

She stands alone, a throng of people surrounding her.  

She knows their faces, their names, their lives.

She knows their voices, their hopes, their dreams…

and still, she stands alone.

A chill of ice invades her soul,

the insidious melancholy seeping deep within.

Her ever-faithful companion,

shadowing her life for as long as she can remember.

A friend turns to address her, and she smiles a soft smile,

the warmth not quite reaching her pale blue eyes.

A nod of her head, a muttered few words,

her friend turns away oblivious.

So easy it is to play the part,

to appear a part of the group even as she remains separate.

How her soul cries as she stands on the outside,

looking in at the warmth denied her.

Once she used to be part of the group.

Once, so very long ago, she felt that sense of belonging.

Now it is a dull echo,

a memory slowly fading into the distance.

Everything ends and everything changes.

What was once vital becomes a ghost of the past.

Inside her heart shatters, her grief never-ending,

 as she smiles a soft smile, all alone.