Singled Out

This is a poem on a topic I take very seriously and for those of us who don't the "expected" paths when it comes to personal lives.

When you're single,
you're singled out
with a signal of light
Flashing on you
along with onlookers
with hidden fire
glaring at you.

You're believed to be alone
as you are cast out
like a stray animal.

You're treated like a sinner
who has committed the worst crime against nature.

You're begged by many
to follow suit
in the latest trend
or otherwise be trashed
as yesterday's fashion.

Society sees you
as a stranger in denial
as you are denied from their world.

Bodies are busy
poking around at you
like woodpeckers trying to dig deep through your nature.

You're "expected" and demanded, albeit subtly
to join "in the crowd"
or face daunting consequences.

It is a hidden "law"
to be followed to the letter
punishable by "solitary confinement," condemnation and even exile from the court.

You're constantly fending off war cries
as your own shining knight.

Not everyone desires or requires a liaison
to live life whole.

Your compass
is where eagle eyes and squawks have no place.

Being singled out is a blessing,
for you follow your own path
instead of many others.

Whether taken or single,
your life is yours to live by your own stuff
and nobody else's life or business.