where's waldo in poetry

everybody’s all like
where’s Waldo, where’s Waldo
why isn’t anyone ever asking
how’s Waldo? how am I?
you’re all looking for me
but you’re all looking through me
maybe that’s what I’m so hard to find
because you don’t really see me at all
even if you figure out where I am

where’s Waldo, is he in this place behind the tree?
where’s Waldo, is he in that place under the car?
I’m Waldo and I will tell you for free
you don’t have to buy the damned book
I’m in a dark place
I’m in a really dark place emotionally

you’re asking yourself, where’s Waldo
I’m asking myself, when Waldo?
when is it going to be my time
to be appreciated as anything other than a trophy?
I’m asking myself, who’s Waldo?
Christ I don’t even know anymore
I look in the mirror and all I can see
are the clothes I’ve been defined down to
I’m asking myself, what’s Waldo?
why do I let myself be just a stranger in a crowd
why do I let myself dress like this in order to be seen
when I’m followed by throngs of people who dress almost
just like me so my chance of notice ends up even less?
I’m asking myself, why Waldo?
why did you let this happen to you
becoming the world’s most visible
invisible man
why do I wear a wool hat even in the middle of summer
why do I walk with a cane, what happened to my leg
why won’t you all just leave me alone
to either finally be seen or finally
disappear into the background forever
why Waldo, why Waldo
why why why?

where’s Waldo?
he’s in the heart of all over-looked people
where’s Waldo?
he’s in the mind of everyone who acts out
just to be acknowledged in any fashion at all
where’s Waldo?
he’s inside of you if you have any empathy at all
where’s Waldo? where’s Waldo?
I’m standing just behind the sled in the park, all right?
all right? mystery solved, you jackals, okay?
now either start asking how I am
or get the hell away
you
monsters