I was born with a gift,
A flair for being invisible,
The ability to briefly escape
From this so-called ‘reality’,
Whenever it is too harsh,
For me to deal with.

I didn’t let it go to waste.
In fact, I actually mastered it.
Like an extremely timid chameleon,
I hole up at the first sign of trouble.
It has become part of my life
And I’m perfectly fine with it.

Call me a wimp if you want,
Or anything for that matter.
As it is a small price to pay,
Compared to the pain of living.
Throughout my life, I’ve been
Nothing but an invisible observer.

One of the perks of being invisible,
Is being able to ‘see’ better.
Things invisible to the eyes,
But noticeable to the heart;
Things like people’s emotions,
Which are often taken for granted.

Throughout my observation,
I have seen all kinds of people.
People who would give their all
For the ones they love;
People who would hurt others
For pure entertainment.

Then, there were also people
Who always try their hardest
To escape their responsibilities;
To avert themselves from the truth;
To live a pain-free life.
People like me.

I start to question myself.
Instead of giving in right away
Before the match even begins,
What if I just try a bit harder?
Would things have turned out differently?
Perhaps, but I will never find out.

Ever since I had that thought,
Something has changed within me.
Little by little and unknowingly,
I have forsaken this gift of mine.
Now I’m more susceptible than ever,
But I’m perfectly fine with it.


by Woon Zhen