the eyes that skew away again
from what i have known all along
betray i’ll never be one of them
a stranger to their bonny world
their monuments hold to gravitas
even when living memory fades
as i maunder these streets alone
dust sieves through my pantomime veins
a thousand years ago today
the only space i’ve left for feeling
when i realise that no one’s waiting
that their light is all yet not in all
then i’ve never felt so far away
well, it’s not always been suffering
they tap me whenever i’m of use
yet their smiles mask the expiry date
a time to back off, to know my place
& i see that their sun too has left
will not anchor me to my shadow
that their moon with its pinprick halo
will not grant even slenderest grace
a thousand years ago today
the only space allowed for feeling
when i realise nobody’s coming
that their light is all yet not for all
then i’ve never been so far away
by TONY SINGLE
© All rights reserved 2025
unbolt me 
There’s a lot in there (I don’t get it completely) and yet I can resonate with the overall feeling
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I can tend to be a bit idiosyncratic with my wording, so I’m quite glad that it still spoke to you anyway! 😄
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No, I mean I think we all speak in our own individual ways and that’s a nice thing 🙂
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Ah, I see! Thank you for the correction, my friend! 😀
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I feel too many people can identify with this, and that in this supposed age of inclusion. A person’s truth isn’t there in their words, but in their actions.
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Yes, I think you are spot on there, Crispina. I couldn’t agree more.
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I feel some melancholy with this one, Tony
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You definitely have the measure of this poem, Maria. As a deaf man who—if I’m being kind—isn’t exactly what society would call handsome (and is an introvert by nature), relating with people has always been rather difficult. These words are a snapshot of that lived experience.
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Oh that’s why. I can relate to being an introvert. You definitely put this so well, Tony. 🧡
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Thank you, Maria! 😊🙏
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Some of cannot even remember what we were before this life
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Thanks so much, AE. 😀
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I’m not sure I understand it all but I appreciate the pain behind it
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I appreciate the honesty, and for you taking the time to read this! 😊
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I’m an introvert, and this, especially the first stanza, speaks to me. I suspect your intention was not to write about introverts … but you’ve captured how it sometimes feels to be one.
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I’m so glad you picked up on this because I too am an introvert. Of course, that doesn’t mean I haven’t craved some kind of social connection throughout my life (which is what this poem is about) but it has proven to be a lot more difficult to attain given that I am not like most people who tend to be more extroverted in comparison. Thanks so much for reading and for your thoughtful comment!
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