I have always been peripheral,
I live on the margins of life,
Only contacted when useful
Or a handy soldier in strife.
I have never been a lynchpin
Or part of a family group,
So no one thinks to contact me
To keep me in the loop.
I have never had a best friend
Or been described as such,
Most people don’t think me important
So don’t bother keeping in touch.
They only contact me when they want
My services for free,
My time, my brain, my talents,
With no reciprocity.
But being an outsider
Made me independent,
I don’t have to follow social norms
On which others are dependent.
I don’t have to ingratiate
Myself into the herd,
I don’t have to obey their conventions,
Or to hang on to every word.
So I live on the periphery
I observe the way others live,
Then I make my own decisions
On whom to know and what to give.
I’m contented on the margins,
As a very astute observer
Who writes acerbic verses
And lives the outsider’s life with fervour.
11.08.2015