Missed connections

I was waving to my friend when I saw you –
we had never met before,
but you saw me waving and,
not knowing, not sure,
you waved back.

I saw the moment when you realized
that it wasn’t meant for you.
It was easy to recognize, 
that full-body flinch writ large,
visible all over your face.

What a fool, right?
To think that it could be meant for you.
Arrogant, really.
And anyway,
who do you think you are?

But here is the thing:
you are wrong.
We had never met and,
maybe,
we never will, but still –
my wave is for you now.

Wave for me, for all of us
awkward and uncomfortable ones.
Keep waving,
and I’ll wave back.

My friend will understand.

Elani Wales, 2021