union station

I.

 

i gave

a deaf man

$10

to get back home;

 

i didn't see him

get on the train;

 

it's sad

to think

 

maybe he could hear me;

 

i wrote

"everyone needs help sometimes"

on the pieces of paper

i had left

 

and then he was gone.

 

II.

 

I wanted

to ask

the men

in work boots

with paint-splatter jeans

why they were

setting up

white picket fences

in the middle of

 

Union Station

 

in the middle of the day

in the middle of my universe.

 

i found

a place

to sit;

 

on a window sill

where my dark denim jeans

absorbed the patches of

light

coming through the

windows

 

and i wanted to ask

anyone who was curious

why some people's jeans

are covered in paint 

or patches of sunlight

while

 

others

wear

designer

labels.

 

the men

in work boots

and paint-splattered jeans

smoke cigarettes

outside

 

they stare at the

women

who are on

their devices

 

(or their periods)

 

and i wonder

if anyone has ever

looked

at me

like that.

 

III.

 

how much

more time

will I tolerate

this people-watching

before

 

my train comes;

 

the man

pouring cheetos

into his face

provides me

with enough

 

entertainment;

 

he should have his own show

cameras should follow him

he has crumbs all over himself

 

he hasn't been laid

in his entire life;

 

i feel sorry for him

but i could watch him

indefinitely.

 

IV.

 

what

do

all

the

people

do

with

 

20

more

minutes?

 

are the

jihadists

hijacking

their minds

while

 

they sit

with their thoughts

no one can hear

 

(except the man who may have stolen my $10)

 

V.

 

we all think

we can stop

the attacks

with

 

cell phones

help us

avoid

eye contact

with the other

 

human beings

who do bad things