I am lonely.
Not just sad or aloof.
I feel alone, singled out, vulnerable to my core.

I am lonely.
I feel like I'm on my own, like I'm stuck adrift in a sea I can't paddle out of, like my dearest friends have left me alone and can't see that I need them so much.

I am lonely.
Do I have to spell it all out?
Do I have to wear a sign around my neck or shout from the rooftops that my life is spiraling out of my control, that I hate what I've become?

I am lonely.
I can't go it alone. I can't make this work.
I need you to notice the pain behind my smile, the desperation behind my eyes.

I am lonely.
I need some stability and a strong guiding hand.
I need to know that you are there and you notice and you care.

I am lonely.
Help me, dear friends.
I am lonely.