The awkward place of
Feeling like you once belonged
But now stand as an outsider
looking in

The awkward place of
Having once known someone so deeply
But now, awkward hugs
Asking ‘how are you?’
‘Good’ we both reply
A silence lingers
Polite laughs follow

The awkward place of
Having once gone on holidays together
Playing ring around the roses, London bridge, masak masak, hide-and-seek
Sleeping over in tents at each others’ houses
Yet now the clinking of chopsticks and porcelain spoons over family dinner
The chitchat and laughter of other patrons of the restaurant
Negates the need to make conversation

Do people just grow apart?
When did I start to lose touch with people that matter?
Does ‘busy’ still cut it?

Perhaps
It’s embracing that my season has come and gone
And being okay with cheering from the sidelines

Perhaps
It’s saying “hey can I meet you for coffee, let’s catch up proper”
And actually setting a date, time and place immediately

Perhaps
It’s looking up from our devices
Raising our voices a little to speak over the noise:
“What have you been up to lately?”
“How was the interview I heard from Grandpa that you went for?”
“Tell me about this new project you are working on”
If all else fails, the last I heard, hide-and-seek has no age limit.

Easier said than done,
I still struggle with making time
And get lazy a lot
Also busyness at times, still seems like a pretty decent excuse
But the times I’ve spared the time, made the effort,
I haven’t regretted.