Comfort in the Background
I like watching from the sidelines
Studying the shapes of people
The way a mouth moves as words are spoken
The soft or dramatic light that flickers in their eyes when they recognize a familiar face
I watch body language settle into comfort
Or tense with nervousness
There’s something fulfilling in seeing conversations
Without hearing them
In witnessing emotions shift as time passes
And wondering what unseen moment created them
I’ve always loved the way my father tells stories
How reminiscing seems to bring him closer to youth
The shape of his face when he laughs
while recalling the playful trouble of his younger days
Always paired with over animated hands
As if the memories need help finding their way out
The differences in people are endless
Interacting with others
Or alone within themselves
Unaware they’re completely exposed and telling all
I understand more when I can sit quietly
and study the natural way someone moves
Like the pause where they physically weigh a thought
Before responding, before choosing
And sometimes without thinking at all
And that’s why I don’t mind being an extra
in the background of someone else’s scene
In fact, I think I prefer it
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