My loneliness is like a shadow
The people around me are lights
Their brightness doesn't smother the shadow
It just highlights its darkness
The lights move and dance
Like fireflies or stars or candles or cars
My shadow just stays the same, sometimes sharp
Sometimes fuzzy around the edge
But I keep looking for lights
As though this time the shadow will die
But the light just makes my shadow deeper
I cry for darkness, a dark to drown the shadow
Occasionally people hear me cry
But they don't understand I want darkness
So they turn on a light and ask “are you OK?”
I sigh: “I'll be alright, just turn off the lights as you leave”