Subway Stories

I pass by a man begging for savior,

and a woman dragging her child who's distracted by an elderly ladies puppy.

I watch as a business man late for a meeting I assume,

trips on the man asking for change.

Never stopping to think about the other man who needs more help now then he will ever in his life,

he gets on the subway to his next destination.

I see a kid,

on his bike trying to catch the train,

excited for whatever is next for him,

but he stops,

paying more attention than the business man,

and spares what little money he has to the one who needs it more.

The smile that appears on the mans face is enough to make the kid know he made the right decision,

bettering both of their days.

The child breaks the grasp of his mother's hand and to where the puppy is,

smiling,

laughing,

until his mother yanks him away,

eager to get home,

tired of the endless days,

ready to end this one by putting her boy to bed,

and begin to read the new book that she doesn't have enough time to read,

she will fall asleep before she opens it,

but she doesn't know that yet.

They to boarded the train.

At some point a pregnant woman has sat down on a bench with her magazines of models,

scouring what her body used to look like before the baby,

for a split second I see the envy cross her face,

wishing she looked like that again,

she looks down at the empty wedding ring finger on her hand,

knowing that things could've been different,

but then she rubs her stomach with a smile,

remembering that this change will be the best thing to happen to her.

An older gentleman smoking a cigar passes me,

blowing smoke towards my face,

oblivious to me entirely.

I watch as he waits at the train doors til the very last second,

searching for someone to take this ride with,

but they never show,

he walks through the closing doors.

A man walks off the train with his girlfriend,

holding her hand,

smiling,

the woman's wearing a ring,

he proposed,

she said yes,

maybe it was on that very train ride they just exited and that will be the same train they take every anniversary,

remembering the good old days,

when they were young,

worrying about the life ahead of them,

not the life that's left in them,

in love with the idea of each other,

until they fall in love with the people they will become.

I glance down at my watch,

knowing it will soon be my turn to go,

but that's a story for another day.