Open the Gates

Solitude

is the desert sun to dry up the flood

a breath

a moment

peace that restores

Loneliness

is the solitary walk along a never ending gate

always outside the gate

with no secret code to open the doors

and on the side of paradise

people walk by

beside

behind

ahead

but always out of reach

And loneliness subtly begs

for scraps of company and conversation

for anything

while people smile and nod

and just keep walking

by Christina Lynn Lambert

During the extreme quarantine of the recent virus pandemic, many people who have never felt alone found themselves stuck inside, away from those they loved, away from everyone in general. Video conferencing replaced human contact. Huggers had no one to hug. After a few days or weeks, the peaceful solitude devolved into pure and painful loneliness. For a while, many experienced a small fraction of the loneliness some people experience on a regular basis.

Painful shyness or difficulty with social cues creates a barrier for many people. They feel stuck and set apart from the world. People who experience this soul crushing loneliness and difficulty connecting with others didn’t flinch at the isolation of quarantine. Their wounds didn’t get deeper. Not those wounds anyway.

But maybe, when the world opens back up again safely, more people will take the time to spot those locked outside the gate and throw open the doors so everyone can walk together.