by Kali

Disclaimer: This is a Cats fanfiction. Cats is copyright Really Useful Group, Andrew Lloyd Webber. T.S. Eliot, and heaviside knows whom else. I own not one jot of this fabulous musical, much to my chagrin.  Also, this is a story inspired by, based on, and written around the song 'He Doesn't See Me' by Goldman & Romannelli. I am merely a fan receiving no reward or profit or anything for this story except the pleasure of having written it.

When he passes me by he’s a ray of light
Like the first drop of sun from the sky
And I know he’s a king who deserves a queen
But I am not a queen
And he doesn’t see me.

She watched him, though he didn’t know she was there. She curled up in a corner, unseen and unnoticed, while he talked and laughed and sang and danced, and everyone else went about their business… and she watched, silent and unmoving.

When he dances, he moves me to a smile
And I see everything near him shine

During the Jellicle Ball, he had danced more than anyone else. He was a dancer, and a wonderful dancer. Despite her sadness, she could not help but admire his gracefulness…

There’s a grace in his ways that I can’t contain
I haven’t that grace
Oh I haven’t that grace.

…admire his gracefulness and wish she could dance as well as that… maybe if she danced so beautifully, he would see her…

And the closer he gets I can’t help but hide
So ashamed of my body and voice

But she couldn’t dance as well as he, not even half as well. "Can’t dance, can’t sing," she whispered to herself, watching his movements across the Junkyard. "I haven’t got much hope…"

There are boundaries we pass in spite of the war
But our own, we can’t seem to cross.

She tried to get up the nerve to go out of her corner, to go talk to him, ask him perhaps for dancing lessons… but the first tentative step towards him would be too much, and she would dart back to her corner, unwilling to speak to him for fear of rejection.

She has a way that surrounds her so delicate
With a glory that reigns in her life

It would not have been so painful to watch him dance if he had danced alone -- but far too often, he danced with a partner… Her. Victoria, the beautiful, the graceful, the innocent, the sweet, the dancer… Victoria, the love of HIS life.

She is also so much that she is not
These things, I can’t see
Because he doesn’t see me
And he doesn’t see me.

She tried to be nice to Victoria, she knew that it wasn’t Victoria’s fault that she had captured the heart of the one tom this poor young queen felt she could ever love… but she certainly found it difficult not to scream at her.

There are things we can change
If we just choose to fight
But the walls of injustice are high.

"It’s not fair," she whispered quietly. "Why did Victoria get the beauty, AND the grace, AND the whole pure-innocent-princess thing, and I’m… just me?"

When he passes me by he’s a ray of light
Like the first drop of sun from the sky
And I know he’s a king who deserves a queen
Someone other than me
So different from me

She and Victoria were as un-alike as two queens could be… and Mistoffelees had chosen Victoria. She couldn’t fight that…

He doesn’t see me

Electra sighed, and resignedly watched in silence as he danced…

He doesn’t see me

…danced with Victoria…

He doesn’t see me…

…danced…

He doesn't see me...

| Index | Poetry | Imagery | Songs | Stories | Updates | Spirit |
| Contact Me |

This background (and, for that matter, help with the table HTML) was provided by Visionary Concepts.