On the Outside Looking In

What it is like to be alone.

On the Outside Looking In 
 

I glance outside my window
At the lively group below,
As they greet each other warmly,
Basking in true friendship's glow.

And I wonder if they notice,
In that safe, smug world they're in,
One small face pressed to the window,
On the outside looking in.

I roam the crowded streets by day,
With hope, I search each face,
And yet, each one's a stranger,
Running his or her own race.

And I wonder if they understand,
In that small cocoon they're in,
How very lonely life can be
On the outside looking in.

At night I walk deserted streets,
With no one by my side,
And I stop outside each window,
And gaze at those inside.

And I wonder if they realize,
As they eat among their kin,
How terribly hungry one can get
On the outside looking in.

So if there's someone you might know
Who never seems to smile,
Then why not give him one of yours
And make his day worthwhile.

For circumstances quickly change;
With one brief gust of wind,
You just might be that lonely soul
On the outside looking in.

 

© Linda Newman (All rights reserved)

 

Reviews

[Helena]

Beautiful! You captured the theme of "Loneliness" so very well in this!
I loved the sentiments and the wonderful flow...

Thank you so much for submitting your poem to my contest!

Helena

[angelina neves]

very beautiful words painting a picture of loneliness

[angelinmypocket]

Linda.....Your entire write cries "LONELINESS." A wonderful story with a strong moral that we all need to learn.
There are all kinds of people in this world and each one lives in their own little world that seldom allows or lets in those who are on the outside looking in.

[DeeWV]

Wonderful write Linda, and you carry a wise message in this poem.
My grandma always said put yourself in another's shoes before you
judge who they are. She would have loved this poem.

[Tomás Ó C..]

This poem, with its pure and simple rhyming scheme, deserves to be among the classics, for the great and direct message it gives. A1 write, girl!!!

[David Lewis Paget]

You have a great command of rhyme and metre, unusual on this site, so all the more to be enjoyed. The repetitive nature of the line: 'On the outside looking in' drives it home that there are many people out there who experience this sense of dislocation. First and foremost, of course, are poets and writers themselves, who tend to be somewhat introverted and 'apart' (far) from the madding crowd, as Thomas Hardy might have said. Enjoyable read.
David.

[Mysty Rayn]

This is really great. A real joy to read.