Poem: Living in the Penumbra of the Spotlight

You’re usually expected to put
most of your attention on one person
at the center of all the action,
but I always get distracted by the
squire or the sullen daughter
or the doctor who just seemed so
unimpressed when her boss was
leading the rounds, showing off
for the residents.

I love how some secondary
characters manage to make it all
about themselves with an eye roll
or a sigh or a blank expression.

I guess it’s just fellow feeling
as I know I will never be the
central figure in any story,
perhaps not even my own,
but I still take solace in the
fact that supporting characters
sometimes become stars.

Photo by Erkan Utu on Pexels.com