When surrounded by grating laughter,
By empty smiles,
By aimless chatter,
And by endless clanking,
I am without peace.

When the faces seem joyful,
Conversations seem lively,
Refreshments seem pleasing,
And attenders seem engaged,
I know it's not for me.

When the music is loud,
The dancing wild,
The spirits high,
And the substances loose,
I know that nobody cares.

They are all just here
To take from each other,
Hoping they will gain more than they lose.

They do not know
That I am with them,
A simple observer,
Neither giving,
Nor taking,
Neither living,
Nor dying.

They do not know
That I am watching
As the world moves on
Without me.

They will not know my name,
Lose me in their homes,
Or find me in their travels.

They will not see me staring,
Waiting as the time goes by,
Observing the grand affair of life,
Just as empty as it always has been.

After a time they will begin to leave,
One by one,
Not knowing where to go,
Not knowing who to be,
Not knowing that I stay.

When the dust settles down,
When the lights blink away,
And when the last one leaves the room,
I will be left with an unfulfilling peace:
For I am a simple observer,
And I am alone in this room full of people.