College age, I was sent away to school.I knew it was the right thing to do
but I was a City boy
and I chose a school in Western Mass,
in the lovely countryside outside of Amherst.

I knew no one
and I was not used to being away from home.

After I was dropped off
and all community activities were completed,
I closed the door
and wondered what to do.
The students on my floor congregated in the hallway
but I didn’t know that I belonged
so I stayed shut up in my room
while peopled chatted and met
outside my door
learning about each other
like the humans do.

I remained alone.
Sometimes,
I would look out the first story window
and see people out on the quad
talking to one another
introducing themselves.
How did they do it.

Eventually
one of the strangers on the floor knocked
and offered me a lifeline.
"Hey… Jon? Do you want to come on out and join us?"
"…No thanks," I said, "I’m good in here. I appreciate it, though."
The door closed, and I kept to myself.

It took little more than a day or two
to get into the groove of things.
It wasn’t long for me to prove to be a human, too.
After that, I could human with the best of them.