Lost in a Sea of Faces

A Poem

Photo by Angelina on Unsplash

i’m in another crowd
where i don’t belong,
where i cast my eyes down
and try to fade into the scene

it’s always been easy to blend
in the background of every picture —
never standing out just right,
never smiling wide enough

and it’s as easy as breathing
just to keep to my corners
because that’s all
i’ve ever known

and you wouldn’t notice me either —
i know it down to my very bones
because others shine brighter
while i bask in shadows

is it enough just to take in life
as an outside observer
eyeing the spectacle?

or am i robbing myself
of some great escape
beyond these walls?

there are no easy answers,
but i take my rare cues
because i’m a pretender
if nothing else