A Poem: Not Lonely

It is not us who is lonely.
It is really just our shadows trailing behind.

We are up front with the sun on our faces
unable to perceive our glory.

There is a reason perhaps
we are given two eyes to see
and no way to look back.

For this beauty all around,
to our left and our right,
is what keeps us alive,

though it might not need our recognition.

It is through the eyes of another,
that imperfect mirror,

that we see ourselves reflected,
sometimes feel known.

But in those quiet days
when there is no return of our gaze,
or ready mirror,

we are to remember ourselves
as beloved and still lovely again,

as the sky that catches our eyes,
sets them ablaze.

Ana Lisa de Jong
Living Tree Poetry
March 2023