Verses at the LRT

A race for a seat

At the terminal station –

All tired faces, some going home

Others going away from home.

A station passed and he entered

In his faded purple

Pants and white shoes

And black tight

Shirt.

He stood in front of me,

Right hand holding the

Safety, he checked

His phone and two earbuds

Connected to both his ears.

Eyes straight forward to a pudgy

Old man, but his eyes still strayed –

Through my periphery, he’d

Look and when he’d turn I’d

Glance. Station after station,

A game of looking, pretending

We’re not interested, as if

The locus of our voyage is not

Parallel to a physiological motion.

A foot brushed against another.

At my stop, I stood to leave,

Like Orpheus, never turned back –

He glided behind me

Without a word passed between us

Walking down the dark tunneled

Escalator to the crowded street,

Him always two paces behind

Until I got to the motel

Where we spent the night

In complete silence.

——————

CARD DRAWN:

THIS IS THE TAROT CHALLENGE, a 78-day writing challenge where everyday I pick out a random card from my tarot deck and write something about, against, inspired by, based on the card by the day’s end. The works can range from poetry to fiction to drama. When the card is from the major arcana, the title of the work should be the card name. When the card is from the minor arcana, the title can be different but the card drawn should be revealed at the end.