The One They Forgot

Introduction: 

What happens when you’re physically present, but emotionally erased? “The One They Forgot” dives into the heart of a trio where one fades into silence while the others move forward. This poem doesn't scream betrayal—it whispers the pain of being overlooked. It explores the ache of invisibility and ends on a defiant note: quiet strength in letting go.

They laugh.

Louder now.

As if the silence I leave behind

makes more room for their joy.

I sit there,

smiling at jokes that weren’t meant for me,

nodding at stories I was never told,

wondering when presence

turned into background.

They don’t look at me less—

they look through me.

And somehow, that hurts more.

Once, we were a circle.

Now it’s a line I can’t walk.

A duo with space

only when convenience allows it.

They share glances like secrets,

whispers wrapped in memories

I wasn’t invited to make.

They forget birthdays,

plans,

me.

But I remember everything—

even the silence,

especially the silence.

I am a bookmark

in a forgotten book,

still holding their place

even as they turn pages

I’ll never be part of.

But here’s the thing—

I’ve learned to stop waiting.

Learned that being left out

isn’t the same as being left behind.

Let them laugh.

Let them shine in their filtered frame.

I am not the shadow.

I am the quiet that follows—

calm,

steady,

unshaken.

One day,

they will look for me

in echoes and empty chairs,

and realize

the third place

was the one that held them together.

Reflection:

This poem is a mirror for anyone who's sat beside people they once called home—and felt like a stranger. What hurts more—being left or realizing you were never truly held? Can silence be stronger than confrontation? Follow for more