Sometimes There Is Nothing

Three months back, a friend came to a party
And left very soon.
He hadn’t looked like he was having a good time,
And I felt the weight of that failure to provide.

Two months back, a friend came to a party
And left sort of soon.
She hadn’t looked like she was having a good time,
And I felt the shame of that failure to engage.

But I can see now that she was simply
Introverted.
Engagement will look different for her.
That doesn’t mean I failed.

And I know now that he was dealing
With hard things,
And there was nothing I could have done
To improve his time.

Sometimes there is nothing.