Alone in a Crowd

So many faces, all around me,
talking, laughing, sharing their worlds,
I nod, I smile, I play my part,
but inside, a hollow silence grows.

Their voices flow like river water,
brushing past my skin,
never soaking in, never holding me,
I am an island in this sea of noise.

Hands reach out, they touch my shoulder,
but the heart they seek lies hidden,
folded away, behind walls no one sees,
How can I be seen, when I cannot find myself?