In the midst of the excited chatter,
I almost miss her
quiet, lost,
She fades into the background;
The charged environment engulfs her.
This was home to me,
a world she does not understand.
Glinting brass instruments
shoved back into unassuming hard cases;
Black and white uniforms
untying and loosening;
The cackle of finished water bottles
tossed into waiting bins;
This is my home.
Dimly, I hear her call
my name, almost begging
I turn, and she is there.
And then I see a tear
slowly sliding down her face,
one special moment
of actual understanding.