at rush hour, he thinks
nothing of spreading his leg
out on the next seat.
July 2008
31 posts
he doesn’t realize
how loud he is when he sings
with his headphones on.
she holds her shopping
bags at arms’ distance, like that
will keep her balance.
she keeps bopping her
head to the bass leaking from
under my headphones.
he plants his legs like
a surfer in order to
maintain his balance.
a mom and son read
a map, step toward trains, step back,
and repeat, repeat.
when told his fare is
insufficient, he reacts
with excessive force.
one man starts to talk
to a stranger - when he speaks
back, he’s talked over.
she walks on without
shoes. a stranger stares, asking
her, “seriously?”
she has a nosebleed.
i’m somewhere between pity,
horror, and laughter.
the most intense heart-
to-heart on board today was
on project runway.
he’s a dog walker,
but she’s awestruck, like he was
a lion tamer.
two shopping buddies
clutch their bags, stare ahead, burnt
out on each other.
a little boy says,
“inside?” mom says, “no, we’re not.”
“tunnel?” “yes, that’s right.”
a passenger with his
pet on board might as well be
a babysitter.
she sits next to a
large rolled-up rug, looking pleased
with her new purchase.
an old man wears shorts
that show the length of his pale,
skinny, veiny legs.
i can’t help but love
seeing cocky people lose
their footing, and trip.
she sits cross-legged
on the pavement, waiting for
the train with her book.
a woman with a
baby is forced to stand. her
mother shakes her head.
