Subway Stops

"See you in 6 months"

Two friends walk out

The third left behind sits silently

and occasionally wipes water dripping down her eyes

There's a dude in a suit whose age could be anything

just scrolling through his phone a lot

with a silent look in his eye

and lips curled like he's holding feelings inside

A girl and guy sit side by side

She says something funny and looks to him

but he's just hearing what's on his screen

so she sighs and takes her phone from her pocket too

The train car isn’t packed, but the seats are filled

Someone walks down the aisle

"We're a homeless couple," I hear

“This is my wife. She’s pregnant and not doing so well”

The husband reads a poem he wrote to the world

and his last line is

"I see you, you see me”

His eyes become acquainted with mine

They exit the train through the door to my right side

He shook my hand

I wish I asked his name

We're all in the same waiting room

moving together; sitting still

Might as well smile back and forth

Recognize the worlds outside of ourselves

It's easy to forget those most of the time

especially in the dark when we’re gliding through it

We’re all a bunch of me’s

Narcissists: each of us feels

more entitled to a seat than another me is

But no one gets to leave

until the train stops

All of the selves

have to wait

like the rest of us

There’s an old woman sitting across from me

Earlier for her I saw a teenage boy give up his seat

I don't know if her soul is sad

or if her face just always looks like that

Either way

she’s now getting off at the same stop as I am

Copyright © 2018, Kira Stevens

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