I strolled into the coffee shop,
taking a seat at my usual place
in front of the window facing the city skyline.
I sipped my hazelnut coffee,
staring out at the world in front of me.
The shop behind me fell away,
and I was part of the city itself.
I wasn’t a being, but simply
an observer of the world.
City goers walked along,
unaware that I was watching them and
imagining what their lives could be like.
A young woman jogged down the road.
I thought, fitness instructor.
A man in a navy blue suit and tie
held his phone to his ear,
speaking insistently and walking briskly.
I thought, a boss dealing with his employees.
A little girl wearing pigtails and a light pink dress
skipped along the sidewalk holding a blue balloon in one hand
and a man’s hand in the other.
I thought, a father and daughter out for a birthday stroll.
As more and more people passed me by,
unaware of my presence,
I thought of the size of the city.
So many people called themselves habitants of this one town
but had no idea that the others existed.
What did others think when I walked down the city streets,
unaware of the eyes of observers upon me?