50 People - 46 Poem by Raj Dronamraju

46

I caught her eye but she wasn't alone
We shared a class, had spoke once or twice
Her male friend, I'm assuming boyfriend, was much older than her
She was a bit dumpy, heavyset, wore glasses, no make-up
I sensed she had found something, someone to cling to
But she really didn't look happy

I caught her eye but she wasn't alone
We knew each other quite well
Her husband had a moustache and not much else
She complained that after work he would lie on the couch and complain about the pain in her stomach
While she took complete care of their baby daughter despite working full time too
A few years later, she would have an affair but not with me

I caught her eye but she wasn't alone
The handsome fellow in black stood ever poised at her elbow
I had flirted with her once but woken up with a terrible headache and the sense it was too early to end this life
The handsome fellow in back never noticed me
But one day we would meet up, it was inevitable
Until then I gazed at his icy female companion and was allowed to know from a distance what would never be mine