In solitude
Man has himself
To talk about.
Verbal exchange
Conversation
With another person
A glimpse
Different perspectives
Seeing
Through another set of eyes.
But in the end
What matters
The essence
Of being oneself
Being one with the self.
The more a man
Finding himself
He will lose
Another.
So you found
And you lost.
A repetitive cycle
One cannot have
Everything.
Extroverts feed off
The energy
From social interactions
Connections
On the other hand
Introverts
Creatures of silence
Draw power from weakness
That is, solitude.
No man is an island
Perhaps it is true
But then again
One can find himself
Marooned.
Society is a ship
All of us
The crew
And the outcasts
Are cast out.
Cool days
A blanket of cloud
A grey sea above
Trees and grass in the park
A peaceful scenery
If one would sit down
Slow down
Take the lazy river
In life
Do not rush.
Philosophy of the lazy.
A familiar face
In a dark red coat
A hat of velvet
Certainly a woman of class
But to find such being
Off her high throne
And down the peasant field?
Strange.
Looking closer
Indeed
His mind registered
A certain sage.
"Good afternoon, Miyako-sama."
For a moment
Sharp green eyes
But a soft smile.
"Hello, Hikigaya-san."
Normally
He would dare not
Approach another
For the sake
Mind your own business.
But strangely enough
He felt assured
This woman
Was unlike the rest.
Just as stand users
Attract other stand users
A distinct vibe
Detected only by true loners
Cynics and sages
People of the same wavelength
More often than not
Get along.
Birds of the same feather
Flock together.
He took a seat
On the cold wooden bench
Two of them
A peculiar sight
Unsettling silence
But beareable.
Spectators of a play
Quietly watching
Scenes
On the playground
The children frolicked
Such a soothing sight.
"If you don't mind, do you often visit this place?"
"On days like these, yes."
To some
Brief exchanges
Followed by a minute or two
Silence
Hardly what anyone can call
A proper conversation
Only a few understand
Patience.
"I like to watch the children play."
"Why is that?"
"They remind me what could have been."
Reading between the lines
He understood
Indeed
In life
Everyone contemplates
Alternate possibilities.
"Why do you not visit Yumiko anymore?"
"What creature dares come back to it's caves after leaving her family?"
The cynic was silenced.
"You must stand by your decisions and the following consequences, even if it means sacrifice. Once, there was a future where I was simply a kind grandmother, with a wonderful granddaughter. But I was selfish. Now, I do not intend to come back like a dog."
Such is pride.
Twisted was this woman
But he must understand
Respect those who admit to faults
But even more
To those who suffer
Consequences
And do not run.
But if you accept
For what it is
And do not go back
Is that not running away
In another form?
Everyone runs.
To which direction, that is what matters.
"They are family."
"And I loved them. I can see it in your eyes, you who did not deserve such blessing of love and friendship. Understand that only those who are compassionate deserve such."
He could not tell
If this woman
Was just as cynical as he is
Cold logic and conceit
To think
An optimistic and foolish
Yet fiery young woman
Was a descendant of her.
"Would it be possible to forgive oneself?"
"Perhaps. But only the strong can achieve such feat."
"Then be strong. For her."
She smiled at him
Faint
But sincere.
"Yumi-chan is very fortunate to have someone like you."
Crossing her arms
Look out into the distance
As if longing
For something.
"Everyone is a slave. To the circumstances, to duty. To obligation. Freedom in life is simply accepting an alternative- freedom in a cell of your own choosing."
"My mother and father are corporate slaves, as I like to call it."
Both of them shared a quiet chuckle.
"Hikigaya-san, do you think they have a choice?"
"We always have a choice."
"Then why did they not choose?"
The sage and the cynic
In chess
He was in check.
