Metro Persona II

In the fake-French city
where even the billboards had
an accent,
she was trying to get by in
Spanish.

Her sons barely made it through
the closing doors in her wake
as she touched their shoulders,
making sure they were
grasping the metal poles,
muttering to herself.

She grabbed a woman nearest her,
and started assaulting her
in halting English, mixing it in with
words
that didn't fit like,
"solo" and "el centro".

My two years of high school Spanish
weren't any use next to her rapid fire
pleas for help,
but after a day of hearing
"bonjour" and "merci"
a "hola" was welcome.

She asked me where to go
and I knew I couldn't help,
but why not pretend, just for a minute,
that I wasn't lost too,
and that she would
get off at the right stop.

Later that evening, after the cars
wound through the streets
waving Spanish flags and soccer jerseys
in triumphant applause,
I hoped she and her sons
weren't looking for

Little Italy.