Loneliness Comes
Roy Gu
Loneliness comes
When I was left alone in the hallway
To finish my dinner
When other children
Went out to play
Loneliness comes
When kids my age
And kids older and stronger
Formed gangs
Bullied me
And no one was on my side
Loneliness comes
When I was all by myself at home
During summer and winter
When reading, drawing, and daydreaming
Finally gave way to walking
Back and forth in the room
Like a small beast in a cage
Loneliness comes
When I was mocked
In my funny clothes
From uncles, parents, or who knows where
Loneliness comes
When I played with my cousin for a day
And we had to part
Loneliness comes
When people didn’t understand
What I was talking about
When peers
Thought me strange
Loneliness comes
When I finished a novel,
A film, or a song
Loneliness comes
When I was lying in the hospital bed
Staring at everything white
White sheets
White robes
White walls
White lights
White world
Feeling so tiny and helpless
Loneliness comes
When back from hospitalization
I had to stay at home alone for a whole summer
Regurgitating my shadows
Loneliness comes
When I believed the world
Was controlled by mystic powers
That were harsh and mercurial
No friendly to me
When I built a prison for myself, and
Let those powers enslave me
Loneliness comes
When my heart was
Filled with fear and paranoia
Not knowing what would happen
To me tomorrow
Loneliness comes
When I snooze
When I had a running nose
When I felt heavy in my head and body
So often
Loneliness comes
When weakness and fatigue
Kept me from sports, activities, from
Having fun
Loneliness comes
When I finished PC games
That I played for comfort
Loneliness comes
When after being am admitted to college
There left me half a year
To be alone at home
But didn’t leave me
Anything exciting
Loneliness comes
When I’m at a dinner party
And everyone’s talking and laughing
It feels no different
Whether I join their talk and laughter
Loneliness comes
When people say goodbye
When I leave
Any crowd
Loneliness comes
And I want to be with people
Yet when I’m in a crowd
I want to withdraw
To the corner of my own
Loneliness comes
When I look at things
Of the past
Loneliness comes
When music sounds at night
And the old days come to my heart
Making me drunk with nostalgia
As if I miss someone
And so yearns to talk to her
Loneliness comes
When I feel depressed
When my nerves are not stimulated
As if lacking some substance
Loneliness comes
When I sent a text message
And didn’t get a reply
Loneliness comes
When the one I once regarded as my listener
Listened no more
Loneliness comes
When I tried to open my heart to someone
Who didn’t turn out
To care
Loneliness comes
When I feel ignored
Or not paid attention to
Loneliness comes
When I stay at home for one day
When I wake up
From an afternoon nap
Loneliness comes
And I’ll have to go downstairs
And walk around a little
Getting a package of cookies
In the nearby convenience store
Loneliness comes
And I’ll have to get on a bus
Letting it take me
To wherever it goes to
Loneliness comes
Like I’ve lost something
And am looking for it everywhere
Loneliness comes
Like a gust of wind
Like a swarm of locusts
Like rain
Like plague
Like dusk
Like death
Roy Gu
Loneliness comes
When I was left alone in the hallway
To finish my dinner
When other children
Went out to play
Loneliness comes
When kids my age
And kids older and stronger
Formed gangs
Bullied me
And no one was on my side
Loneliness comes
When I was all by myself at home
During summer and winter
When reading, drawing, and daydreaming
Finally gave way to walking
Back and forth in the room
Like a small beast in a cage
Loneliness comes
When I was mocked
In my funny clothes
From uncles, parents, or who knows where
Loneliness comes
When I played with my cousin for a day
And we had to part
Loneliness comes
When people didn’t understand
What I was talking about
When peers
Thought me strange
Loneliness comes
When I finished a novel,
A film, or a song
Loneliness comes
When I was lying in the hospital bed
Staring at everything white
White sheets
White robes
White walls
White lights
White world
Feeling so tiny and helpless
Loneliness comes
When back from hospitalization
I had to stay at home alone for a whole summer
Regurgitating my shadows
Loneliness comes
When I believed the world
Was controlled by mystic powers
That were harsh and mercurial
No friendly to me
When I built a prison for myself, and
Let those powers enslave me
Loneliness comes
When my heart was
Filled with fear and paranoia
Not knowing what would happen
To me tomorrow
Loneliness comes
When I snooze
When I had a running nose
When I felt heavy in my head and body
So often
Loneliness comes
When weakness and fatigue
Kept me from sports, activities, from
Having fun
Loneliness comes
When I finished PC games
That I played for comfort
Loneliness comes
When after being am admitted to college
There left me half a year
To be alone at home
But didn’t leave me
Anything exciting
Loneliness comes
When I’m at a dinner party
And everyone’s talking and laughing
It feels no different
Whether I join their talk and laughter
Loneliness comes
When people say goodbye
When I leave
Any crowd
Loneliness comes
And I want to be with people
Yet when I’m in a crowd
I want to withdraw
To the corner of my own
Loneliness comes
When I look at things
Of the past
Loneliness comes
When music sounds at night
And the old days come to my heart
Making me drunk with nostalgia
As if I miss someone
And so yearns to talk to her
Loneliness comes
When I feel depressed
When my nerves are not stimulated
As if lacking some substance
Loneliness comes
When I sent a text message
And didn’t get a reply
Loneliness comes
When the one I once regarded as my listener
Listened no more
Loneliness comes
When I tried to open my heart to someone
Who didn’t turn out
To care
Loneliness comes
When I feel ignored
Or not paid attention to
Loneliness comes
When I stay at home for one day
When I wake up
From an afternoon nap
Loneliness comes
And I’ll have to go downstairs
And walk around a little
Getting a package of cookies
In the nearby convenience store
Loneliness comes
And I’ll have to get on a bus
Letting it take me
To wherever it goes to
Loneliness comes
Like I’ve lost something
And am looking for it everywhere
Loneliness comes
Like a gust of wind
Like a swarm of locusts
Like rain
Like plague
Like dusk
Like death