The Invisible Memory

I am sitting in class

Looking forward at the teacher

From the corner of my eye

He is sitting there

Staring on at us, not saying a word

He listens intently at every word spoken

We all know he is there

Yet we say nothing.

The dinner table is full with all sorts of delicacies

Lobster, Turkey, Sushi, Corn on the cob, Mashed Potatoes, and so on

We all sit down to enjoy this meal

But there he is in the corner speechless

Not wanting to sit or partake

We all know of his hunger

Our stomach’s twist at the thought

Yet we act like nothing is wrong and continue our meal.

The office is pack full with wealthy businessmen and women

Typing away on their new computers and phones

Sipping coffee while talking to colleagues

In the nice air conditioning

There he is on the other side of the door

Not wanting to come in

Just staring through the window

We all know his dreams of joining us but cannot

Yet we act like he is not there.

The party is filled with old and new friends

Everyone is there drinking, dancing and laughing

Each person has his or her own partner

They all waltz on to the dance floor

In the center of the floor, he is standing

We all know his loneliness

Yet we brush against him as we dance, as if he was air.

The line at the bank

Stretches out the front door

Men and women all checking their balances

Counting the many zeros that are there

Over our shoulders, we feel his glare

Not joining this line of zero counters

As we clench our wallets

We all knowing he is void of even a copper piece

Yet we shrug him off and continue counting.

People running around from store to store

Collecting items like cloth, food and glamor products

We all complain that we bought too much

Over the sound of the rustling bags

We all hear him staggering through the crowds

We all know of his tattered rages and shoeless soles

Yet we ignore him and move on to the next shop.

At the graveyard, a burial is underway

A rich man has just passed away

All his lovers and friends have gathered to say goodbye

Flowers envelop his grave, his name donned with golden lettering

As the ceremony concludes, we all walk back to our nice cars

On our way back

We pass him standing over a blank, forgotten, stone wrapped in weeds

We all know of his sorrow

As we continue to move forward towards our expensive, foreign cars

Yet we make ourselves to believe that there is no such disremembered grave.

From birth to death

He is always there

Looking on with solemn, pitiful eyes

We try not to notice

But he is impossible to miss

His presence is everywhere

The harder one tries to forget him

The more he is seen

If we  had just acknowledged him

And gave him a little aid and support

He may go away

If by sheer fate our roles were reversed

We, who have it all, will become him and he us

Nothing more and nothing less

Just the Elephant in the room.