Old Lady waiting

Typical short gray curly hair
Smile
She looked away from me as I entered
I would have said hello
She grasped her cane as she sat
Starring into the distance
Her shoes look comfortable
like a nurse's sneaker
She wore jeans and a sweatshirt
I was on my phone
browsing nothing
She thought about me
and I thought about her
Yet we didn't speak to each other
Did her husband pass
Did she have children
I could've initiated a conversation
We were alone in a room
with no music or tv's
When her name was called
"Janice"
She rose from her seat with ease
and seemed not to need a cane
Maybe that cane was for comfort
I'll never know because I lost a chance 
to communicate with another human being
Copyright © | Year Posted 2025

Poem

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Swan Avatar
September 18, 2025 at 5:32 AM
This is an interesting thought. My favourite lines are, 'She thought about me and I thought about her Yet we didn't speak to each other...' I know that feeling, sitting on the edge of engaging with another waiting person, and noticing their shoes. J :)
Rodrigues Avatar
September 18, 2025 at 5:29 AM
Funny how souls meet in a room without speaking. Perhaps next time…
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