It's a pain to say hello
to amicable strangers that quibble and bibble.
As tensions slowly simmer and mellow
into mutual acceptance, ties that ripple.

The cacophony of solitude is drowned out
by the salience of moments unnoticed.
Caught in the undertow of an unpaved route;
dirt, silt, rocks, mist.

It's a pain to have to learn
faces and names that one can barely remember.
People that stay longer than the clock hands turn,
who share, who probe, who concur, who bicker.

And the weirdness becomes a constant hum -
a droning of melodious monotony.
Invasive yet comforting like chewing gum.
A sort of rhythmic anomaly.

It's a pain to have to care
about these unknown variables that have become so known.
Of which changes you wish to be made aware.
Of which you congratulate milestones.

The ticking of time loses sound
while voices gain familiarity.
Roots thicken, spreading across ground.
Laughter. Insanity. Hilarity.

It's a pain to be grateful
for all the other pains endured.
After looking back at a meeting so fateful,
saying goodbye is much, much more