A Breath Apart

by Tom Hatch

Sitting down across the car a place
A young stare is her nervous peering to the floor
Not seeing the debris and dirt as I do

Her legs are long her feet are splayed with
Those dancers’ shoes a current of her life

Her nervous look at a hansom boy sitting next to me
Not a wafer of space between us only time
A still water fall falls black down into her bangs is spring

Her white skin a canvas painted young pretty anxious face
A full of life magic purse sits on her lap the train stops

The doors open with the youth of young men laughing in circles
She spirals their attention they freely give to her

What could be better taking turns
I told myself an incomplete thought about time
Spinning their heads in her direction

Long fingers fumble into a plastic bag
New hoop earrings with today's price tags still on

Silver circles adding attention to her long neck
The young men and hansom boy lingered locked in looks

Knowing where they are to be placed
I told myself a breath apart youth and age
She pulling the price tags off with feminine aware

Tilting her head to the right freehanded
Hearing her breath apart that I know
Clasps the ring into the pierce in her silent ear the audience

Sees the next tilt to the left with ease the ring is in
Youth does not know age
She looked up at all of us with an apprehensive smile

The young men offered their approving grins
She sits up tall with a comb down straighten up her bangs

In a glance in the darkened window a glass darkly
Before the station light enters in
The train stops the doors open for her departure

The young men, the hansom boy and youth follow her
Into a forest of trees in full blossom a breath apart
Fresh nasturtium colored air the doors close

I am a dark winter sitting alone except the Beautiful
Studious Chinese school girls doing there silent
Homework at the other end of the car
They are a new light