For Spring No Hesitation Is Great

Today is April 1st. Transit strike.

Mayor Koch accepting the fact. Myself, 

far from crisis central, in North

Manhattan, measuring the temperature

of my apartment. In the sun it is

warm. The crows have returned again

for Spring.

Today life and the city are o.k. Watching

cat in the morning sun. Drinking tea.

My 1300 dollars will melt like summer

snow, but in the meantime, like samurai

I do not show my fear. I remain still

as on the subway and prepared to fight.

I am sitting under the emergency brake

when a coiffured Latin woman rushes aboard.

The doors close but she decides she wants

out. She bangs on the door as the train begins

to move. I see it happen on her face, 

she finds the red cord and pulls, 

no hesitation.

Maybe someone's hand or foot was caught

in the door. Maybe she's just selfish and

impetuous, got on the uptown not the downtown

side. Maybe the friends she could have

been with didn't get aboard. Whatever

her reason, she acted and the train obeyed.

Some of the passengers sit through the

whole thing, some of us stand. Myself, 

I stand, look for the hand caught in the door.

Later, walk home through the pouring rain.

Today is April 1st. Transit strike.

Sky blue, temperatures mild. Democracy

is great.