Outsider

My neighbor is doing Duolingo across the street,

He’s in his sixties learning a new language

And I’m just eating leftovers, watching him,

Wondering if he’s practicing French for his husband.
 

The elderly lady is walking her poodle today,

Even though it’s been raining since six am

And I’m just scrolling mindlessly on my phone again,

Wondering if she’ll go home and do a puzzle with her grandkids.
 

My brother went for a fifty mile run yesterday

In the blazing and relenting sun,

And I’m just putting on my headphones and staring at the sky

Wondering if he’s taking cold showers afterwards and styling his hair all nice.
 

The little girl with the sparkly pink dress is reading a book in the corner of the library,

It’s for someone twice her age, but she reads it on the edge of her seat

And I’m just tapping my fingers against the desk, waiting,

Wondering if she’ll want to grow up until she wishes to be little again.
 

There’s this girl that’s twitching her fingers against her phone, as her tears hide her blank stares,

She’s too young to be sad, and too old to be happy,

And I’m just sitting here writing sweet nothings about life,

Wondering if I’ll ever see that girl again and hold her when life feels like nothing.