The Side Character

I walk in rooms where no one turns, A silent soul where stories burn. Not the muse, nor the main, Just a whisper in someone else’s frame. They fall in love, they chase the light, While I stay dim, just out of sight. Cheering loud from second place, A shadow with a smiling face. I listen more than I am heard, My silence screams in every word. I fix the cracks, I hold the thread, But never the lines that get reread. Still I stay — Not bitter, just bruised, Not broken, just used. Because even the side character Knows the plot. Feels the pain. Loves a lot. -JN