All that I did was, I just passed by him.

It was somewhere in the corner of the Frankfurt, in one late evening when the night had already fallen, I was walking along one of the busy platforms of the subway station.

Usually I never take in a much of information about anyone while hurrying up but this time while I stopped to adjust my winter coat something caught my eyes.

On the platforms adorned by costly boots and clutches, there was a man in his late 60s, who sat not in the corners, bowing down facing one of the doorways of the train. The weathered lines on his face seemed to be mirrored in the creases of his shabby grey clothes and spoke so much. His hair was not so perfect but was kempt. His old blue t-shirt was an extra large and was clinging where it shouldn't and hanging loose where it shouldn't. I was about 3 feet away from him. Looking at him I was shaken and the sadness seeped in this time instead of skating over me. The profound sadness in his looks and gestures was inflicting way too much. I took with me the image of his hollow soul. But why? He was a shell of a man today. He could have been someone some years back. But,t swallowing the embarrassment to give away his self and bowing down in the middle of the moving crowd to seek for help for his loved ones or for himself. I don't know what to say. 

There was no empathy from me this time. I felt raw, I felt the trauma like it's my own. I could hardly bare the sight. My eyes were quick enough to brim it with tears. This is much different of pain I have experienced  and I can tell, it is there. It was at the back of my mind like a pulse. It pushed itself forward demanding attention, cutting my heart and mind in half stinging with every breath I was taking leaving me with invisible scars. 

But all that I did was, I just passed by him. It just took 2 minutes. I could have stopped by to give him something but I did not. Why was I thinking about him instead of helping him? I was able to feel every piece of his gesture. What was I now, looking at him? It was like I was broken into a thousand pieces of glass that are wedged in between my soul and body. Why was I feeling vicarious?

Aren't we all flawed?

#GodOnlyKnows