The Lonely Atom

Pictures from Hawai’i Not of the white beach But of a wide and open plain A view in a Calgary Stretching eternally From up here they both look the same And on the ground below Each separate piece of the whole Moving discretely and alone Inside the pane of glass I see the world moving past With my reflection imposed Slowly he turns and walks away Until his lines completely fade The boy that’s inside him still Sits at his windowsill Watching the street lamps pierce the night Now see the same blue white glow In this city I don’t know Giving each passing stranger light Slowly they turn and walk away Until their lives completely fade Between the lines of my face I recognize your pain Don’t get too familiar You know what happens next But now I’m not so sure I am standing inside the frame If you look, you’ll see yourself the same An opaque reflection Of a lonely atom Press your hand against the glass Even if the mark won’t last I will know you’re out there On the open plain If I see myself in you See yourself in me This life won’t have to be so lonely