Image: The 42nd. Street, Times Square
bound shuttle departing from the Grand
Central station (here)
the 12 given words:
doubt lean pain meet talk love listen
wild gossip authenticity break tilt
At the precise hour without a doubt
Every morning without fail
There she was leaning against the pillar
Seemingly to prop it up against collapsing
Unwittingly they kept a date
Stealing glances but keeping distance
It pained him to meet
but they had yet to talk
He would love to listen to her voice
Not to endure wild gossip or chatter
like a bunch of school-girls, but just
The authenticity of purpose, however
was not matched by the desire
to break the ice
They would hop on catching the strap
Almost touching shoulders but heads
tilted to one side away from the other
Meeting every morning barely inches
apart but still remaining strangers
The New York Subway phenomenon
Note: Hank used to take the
shuttle to Broadway years ago.
Brenda's Sunday Whirl Wordle #265
Sanaa's Prompt Nights - identity
I can tell this story lives - can picture the scene and the feeling of being amongst people who are familiar and perhaps both known and unknown - a magical shuttle through identity!
ReplyDeleteOh! this is such a beautiful and tenderly expressed poem, Hank. Especially touched by the image of 'Meeting every morning barely inches apart but still remaining strangers. The New York Subway phenomenon' Beautifully penned. Thank you so much for participating at Prompt Nights and for your constant love and support.
ReplyDeleteLots of love,
Sanaa
So close and yet still worlds apart.
ReplyDeleteYou lived in New York? I didn't know that.
Didn't stay there Alex. Was there for a stint on attachment to a bank. Was there for a few weeks
DeleteHank
Really nice little story, Hank.I love the subway, the train and NY!
ReplyDeletePamela
"The authenticity of purpose, however
ReplyDeletewas not matched by the desire
to break the ice"....such enjoyable lines Hank :)
Such a beautiful poem Hank! I agree how we face everyday the same faces but still keep a distance.
ReplyDeleteWe just never move that extra inch sometimes as the same faces show but we keep ours low
ReplyDeleteI've seen this so much. People who take the same bus or train to work or school together for years... but never bother to ask each other's names. I've always been the eccentric New Yorker. I smile. I start conversations with strangers. I know the names of my bus drivers and of the homeless people who roam nearby.
ReplyDeleteYou've really expressed the very human need to share a bit of who we are with (what we hope) is an understanding soul and anxiety that comes from that desire.
ReplyDeleteBrilliantly worked story....such a shame they never glanced into each others hearts XXX
ReplyDeletewow! This is beautiful. I loved the story :)
ReplyDeleteluv that you named the phenomenon, makes it real
ReplyDeletemuch love...
"Meeting every morning barely inches
ReplyDeleteapart but still remaining strangers" That is a true commentary on life today. Sad