To Those Who Don't See Us

You don’t know you’re doing it.

I can’t blame you if no one ever taught you.

I’m sorry for what you’re missing.

 

Do you ever see us?

The man who eats alone in a crowded restaurant

The solitary woman who licks her fingers with pleasure after eating ribs

Oblivious to the fancy patrons around using only their silverware

 

The young woman who is shy?

The young man who has a hard time looking strangers in the eye?

The middle-aged woman who travels alone

Because she doesn’t want being alone to define her

 

The weary traveler?

With pain in his tired eyes

Preferring solitude

To the company of 1,000 shallow friends

 

You overlook us.

You seek shiny.

You need pleasing to the eye.

 

Just because a woman

Lacks makeup sometimes

Isn’t always dressed up

Isn’t constantly crowded in a group of friends

 

Doesn’t mean

She isn’t interesting

 

Just because a man

Isn’t wearing the latest fashion

Doesn’t drive the most expensive car

Doesn’t brag about his conquests

 

Doesn’t mean

He isn’t interesting

 

Sometimes we’re quiet

Because our words were used against us

Sometimes we’re shy

Because striking up conversation is hard

 

That doesn’t mean

We don’t circulate the universe in our brains

 

When we let down our guard

We can talk for hours

About almost anything you like

Energy vibrations, spirituality, dreams, goals

 

Our thoughts run deeper than an ocean

We guard what we say to whom

Because we know the energy we give away

Is precious and priceless

 

We care about all of creation

People, animals, earth

We spread love everywhere we go

Each in our quietly bold way

 

While you’re distracted by

What looks attractive, pleasing to the eye

You miss so much

Of what you could have experienced

 

Everything we do we do it with passion

We recognize how short our time is on this earth

And we act accordingly

We invest in what matters 

 

If you would give us a chance

You would see why we might be quiet

Why we don’t need to be in a group of friends

Why we might be alone

 

We’ve learned who we are

We’ve learned what we like

We’ve learned what we will accept

We’ve learned what we will not

 

Our solitude is where we grow, reconnect with ourselves, recharge.

When we do that, we can better be present with you.

 

We’ve learned to appreciate those who love us,

Good food

Great friends

Unforgettable experiences

 

These are all that matter,

When all of the false pretense of life is stripped away.

 

To Those Who Don’t See Us

You don’t know you’re doing it.

I can’t blame you if no one ever taught you.

I’m sorry for what you’re missing.

 

Photo by Thomas Lefebvre