Alone

I drove out alone
First time I'd done that
New thoughts the whole way
I saw something
on the gravel shoulder
Glistening golden scales
So, naturally,
I veered over
left my car on the side
and went back on foot
for a closer look
Too late, though,
The serpent laid lifeless
I should've taken that
for an omen
Turned right around
and gone home then
But I didn't know
to pay attention

When I got there,
I wandered by myself
in search of acquaintances
pretending to have purpose
Seeing many, but none
too approachable
So I roamed
from place to place
Full room to full room
and finding no one
that cared to greet me
And my once high spirits
had dampened, saturated,
and sunk into my stomach
Three hours and nothing
I couldn't stay anymore
Had to leave it all behind
and drove home alone
before the show was over
The same way I came

It's so funny too
I always had the notion
that being alone is
when you're someplace
and you don't know anybody
or there's nobody there
But, no, that's not it
Being alone is when
you're in a full house
of familiar faces
and no one says a word