A bell goes off in the distance,

Sending a swarm of students,

Milling out of classrooms

Onto the playground;

Some gather around

To talk in a small group,

While others troop

To play some game,

All around, there’s fun and laughter

Or so you’d think;

But not if your eyes strayed

To the fringe,

Where the outliers stay

Close enough to each other

So as to not stand out,

And yet far apart

From everyone else,

Just as they’ve been from the onset.

They watch, and they smile

From time to time,

But mostly, they sigh –

A deep sigh of longing;

For these moments

That are meant to be enjoyed,

Seem ever so much like a burden

That weighs down

On their lonesome selves.

Image Credit: Photo by Candace McDaniel on StockSnap