Homework for the Overactive Brain

Today's Quote--"Happy birthday to me, Happy birthday to me..."

Sunday, September 28, 2003

 

Thought ya'll might like to see this, and I don't know how many of you visit my poetry site. So...


Chikatetsu
(Japanese Subway)

Paching
The sound of snapping
High Tension Cables
Precedes the cars
Here it comes
Clicking down the track
The slap of running feet
The pleasent ping announcing the arrival
The lines form
Up and away
The murmer
Of inside voices made audible
At this one moment

Woosh
Arrived
Woosh
Open
Streams of consciousness
Pass the yellow line
The silence is heavy
Each takes his place
Handle
Seat
Window
Alone
Eyes that are blind
Eyes that shut out the world
The rocking car lulls us to sleep
It is always the same
Skirts
Suits
Bags
Ties
Sleepy eyes and sleepy thoughts
Silent Together

The shuffling movements
To the door
To the seat
Don't sit
Don't fall
Don't hold on
Sway to the music
Sing to the hum of life
Moving from one place to another
From one home to another

All that exists is the world inside your head
The book in your hand
The view of the inside of your eyelids
Your thoughts seem so loud
She can hear them
So can he
If only they stopped to listen
You are so close together
His breath moves your hair
The twitch of her hand catches your jacket
There is no personal space
But a bubble envelopes you
Keeps you separate
Keeps your noisy thoughts

It stops
Kathunk
Jerking you off your feet
Pulling your arm
Pushing your hips
But everyone jerks the same
And the bubble remains intact
You move to the door
Disembark
Leave the subway of life
And watch
As their thoughts leave you behind
To the sound of snapping
High Tension Cables
Paching

(Written September 22, 2003)

GL 10:30 PM