She takes one step
A hallway she’s walked down a billion and one times
All the familiar faces she once knew
All the familiar eyes she once stared into
Look past her
She’s invisible

She takes another step
“How’d I get here”, she wonders
But that wouldn’t defuse her urge to look around
A situation she’s been in a million and one times
But for once she’s not the victim
Just a by-stander
The bane of her existence
She tries to stop it, this altercation
But her words couldn’t control a trained dog
At least the dog could see her
To these people
She’s invisible

She takes but another step, hoping this could be the last
But this scene is rather pleasant
Something she’s done a thousand and one times
Now she’s the one on the other side of the room
Straining to hear the whispers that are followed by giggles
All she wants to do is laugh
All she wants to do is be happy
But right now
She’s invisible

She takes a fourth step
Maybe this time it’ll be a fond memory she could engage in
She looks around
A place she’s been a hundred and one times
The room is dark enough to convince her that her eyes are closed
No lights
No sound
No one.
As always
She’s invisible

One. Last. Step. The fifth and final.
She looks around, sees herself
Walking onto stage
Shaking the hands of her mentors of the last four years
Receiving a piece of paper
that would determine the rest of her life
The audience clapping for her
Even though they’d clapped for the first 300 people
And will clap for the next
But
She could feel special individually
Just for the moment
Right
“The moment”
This moment
It’s happened only once
And will never happen again.
Now not only can she see
But her smile
It’s opened the eyes of others
She’s not invisible