Lonely and loquacious

Can you say who is lonely and who is not

I urge you, just give it another thought

Your often too-loud, gregarious neighbor

Suffocating you with her over-friendly behavior

That friend who can self-deprecating jokes crack

Making everyone laugh, company who does not seem to lack

The one who shares details of her life excessively

None of them appear to be particularly lonely…

*

Your neighbor longs for a friendly face

To invite for lunch or dinner at her place

Your friend makes jokes at his own expense

Hoping to find someone to assuage his loneliness intense

The one who shares a bit too much with you

Has no other ear to pour her woes into…

*

You thought lonely people would have a vibe of melancholy

These animated people you meet often do not appear lonely

Behind a mask loneliness hides in plain sight

Seeking in every interaction a light

To dispel its darkness away, if momentarily

Look closely, many happy faces hide souls lonely..