I saw the look in her eyes
when i told her
i live an ordinary life
i do the same things everyday

she looked at me
with pity
as if she had perceived something lacking
something, that needed a fix

she started to make suggestions
instinctively

things i could be doing
places i could go
people i could meet

i felt her sense of unease
she was a little worried
that i told her
i live an ordinary life
i do the same things everyday

sensitive to her reaction
i got a little nervous

i look in her eyes

the gap was apparent
like the silence between words

what was i to say?

she saw the value in doing things and going places

how was i to communicate?
the experience of an ordinary life

how was i to make it compelling?
the depth of my ordinary life

i was shy
it all seemed too personal to casually share
the truth about my ordinary life
I didn’t want to be rude

So I deflected

What have you been up to? I ask
She told me about her life
She held back a little
Rambling more on the insignificant bits

Life was good
but not too good, she said

She paid close attention to the story she was telling
making sure it was accurate, but relatable
to ease the sense of pity she felt

when i told her
i live an ordinary life
i do the same things everyday

in the end
she ran through all she had said
in case it needed any more compensation

and for a split second
I saw reflected in her eyes
a separation between her
and the life she had just described

it seemed as though she thought to herself

was the plot of her life
really her life?