Loneliness

Loneliness He sits at the table and watches the shoppers walk by There aren’t many seats here, his half-hour limit’s long past As one by one each worker chats with him; they know this guy He offers them something for which they could never have asked Is he all alone but for these times where these grocery carts Roll blind past this spot where store patrons with sandwiches sit How much does it matter: he touches the store workers’ hearts As he in time opens his heart to them too, bit by bit We need much more than loose companionship: each needs someone Moment to moment – if you neglect this basic need And find yourself lulled fast asleep in the Florida sun The others who share the beach with you will pay you no heed Your skin that was once yearning warmth having found itself burned Though long you’d been caught in the thought that you hardly had much Real need for another – your heart was blocked till you discerned The pain forcing you to withdraw your own wound-healing touch Loneliness thus begets loneliness through lack of flow Leaving society toxic and cold, though aren’t we Some of the most social creatures: you think we would know Given the size of our brains that we’ll never be free To live in our grand isolation – say is it not sad That we who’ve accomplished so much remain cruelly alone In safety behind our four walls or four doors, for we’ve had So many a fear we may act like our hearts are of stone Most folks are either religious or distant, I think Though there sure is joy in connecting with someone untamed If you can sell such on your pat ideas, you may well drink One and all from the same cup; how could instinct be blamed For scorn and exclusion of real individualists Don’t we know strangers whose ways of life cause them to be Left to themselves with their thoughts – why they’d hardly be missed That’s why it’s trouble to live as a visionary He sits at the table: what is he, a healer a saint Or maybe Kieslowski’s calm witness of silent insight Observing the Decalogue unfold without the least taint Of any least judgment, since all of us know our own plight If you would engage him in talk would you hear unique thoughts Or would you yet cover him up in the news of the day And squelch him clear out with a barrel of shoulds woulds and oughts So leave him there lonely since he’ll never know you that way ~ Thanks Always Returns