I met a German composer outside the central bus station

In his brown trench coat

he danced with a disposable coffee cup.

His fingers played the breeze and his metronome head kept time.

Out of money and kicked out of his hotel,

out of his mind in eyes that never saw a heart.

He was me and

I was elsewhere.

Standing there in a hard hat and steel toes

 

I felt that breeze he played blow through me.

We smoked cigarettes that 

weighed heavily on my lungs and on my mind.

We communed.

He spoke in second language riddles

of the pain in his spine (which he called a snipe),

of belief, and of dancing as the exercise of children.

I was distracted by some cement,

he drifted inside to keep warm,

and I performed a pirouette on my shovel.

Reviews

[Sara]

fantastic poem, a brief but compelling snapshot of two lives meeting... i think you did a great job characterizing the german composer in just two short stanzas, making him memorable and unique... there's almost a cinematic quality to him, a starving bohemian-y artist-type you can picture perfectly in your mind, kooky but good-hearted... your wording is wonderful too ('fingers played the breeze' and 'second language riddles' are favs), as was the way you contrasted the construction worker's everyman demeanor against the composer's crazy-passionate point of view... overall, just a lovely piece of the unexpected connections we make with people everyday and the way these meetings affect us afterwards (that last line left a smile on my face)... i know i have more poetry on my page than fiction, but i've always considered myself more of an author than a poet, so as a result i've always had a thing for poetry that tells a story, as yours does here. great job and definite fav. :)

[Vesa Lee]

Fantastic piece. These words were flesh and I come away with the feeling as if I've met this man too.

I wonder why these "moment acquaintances" so profoundly affect us...why every emotion is simple, every word true, and every face friendly in those seconds of unguarded existence.

[razormuse]

I love writing that portrays peoples lives intertwining. This does just that. very nice.

[Emily B]

so very nice to meet you

[Dearantlers]

That is a really good poem. Quick question about the form. Why did you do really long lines, and then really short lines? You're a really good writer, and keep writing!
Dearantlers

[Sasha]

Wow...this is a great poem. Good job.