the child who played alone

I never wanted to be alone. 

I was just shy. 

  And embarrassed by my shyness. 

  And socially inept. 

But I never wanted to be alone. 

Sometimes I go out in a crowd. 

Alone but surrounded by people, 

  I am not lonely. 

I revel in anonymity. 

I crave kindness

  almost as much as

I crave simply being known. 

  Understood. 

It's so hard

  to be understood

when you cannot speak

  or cannot be heard.