I am alone

In the walk by the cars that shine their headlights

Throwing their glow at my entire body; in the sounds

Of the horns that pass, screaming for someone

To notice their cry; in the mist of the smoke; in the heat,

And the after-rain cold; in the fire of the sun; in a

Raincoat with drenched feet; and in the music

That is always there but never really there with me.

I am alone.

In my joys that I feel scared to share, sometimes

Because someone else seems to be having a bad

Day; sometimes in my sadness because who wants

To add to someone else’s tearful load; in

The petting of a beautiful brown eyed coffee-colored

Dog who needs me so badly sometimes that he makes

Me walk away; I wish he could learn to be alone.

I am alone.

In my body, my skin, my being; there is only

One heart that belongs to me and it is mine; there

Is only one soul pretending to be living so many lives,

Only one mind that walks in one direction, needing

One kind of songs, and one kind of poems, and one

Kind of friends, and one kind of love; alone in the

Shower making myself feel joy after a tiring day.

I am alone.

In life, and will be, in death. Taking with me my

Steps and my words that are shared honestly only

With a few, only a few times; everything else is just a

Murmur to escape the silence of how alone we all are

In our pretense of being together; hugging and kissing

And making love again and again, trying to run

Away from ever admitting to ourselves

We are alone.