Somewhere far away from my
space, some others are touching.
They posture, they approach, they
take pains—heard by tilting lovers
of sound; seen by opening lovers
of light—urgent yet careful lovers.
I was always too careful to join.
Have you ever spent a whole school
dance waiting for a single chance?
Did you ache through every song,
watching others ably prance?
How many untaken chances
have I left outside my space?
I failed to contact and capture.
So, I try to be happy for others
and lift up their fortunate turns.
Today, others have reached
others. They have touched
others as I have watched. Today,
my heart aches in the sure way.
Today,
I sit by myself, hugging our idea.
Poet’s Notes:
I wrote the rough draft of this poem last weekend while watching the launch and docking of SpaceX’s first mission with humans aboard. As I watched two new crew members enter the International Space Station and hug their fellow explorers, I confess I was a bit jealous… and happy.
The featured image shows Crew Dragon spacecraft Endeavor approaching the ISS last Sunday, May 31st. Image credit: NASA.
Wheat & Tares 
Thank you. You have captured things I’ve felt most of my life, but have never been able to express.
Thanks, Dark Traveler. I really appreciate your reading and sharing this reaction. I hope you are doing well.
Beautiful way with words—as always.
No doubt many have felt the same at some point in their lives. And, others–whom one would never guess from outside appearances–“failed to contact and capture. and sit by myself, hugging our idea.”
Thank you, Lois. And I agree, sometimes we make erroneous assumptions based on outward appearance.