the journey

subject matter aside,

this ride inspires me to perspire heavily

packed like a sardine in Italy

I board reluctantly to the sound of anxious conversation

familiar passengers mingle with other locals

the chatter is vocal,

after boarding, newspapers open, eyes close.

it's 530 am

the seats are packed

iphones and androids dole out the facts

turkey attacked, syria too

twitter updates from tehran and beirut

the train rumbles to newark

we pass cory booker,

the rock and newark penn station

passengers sit in meditation

the u s of america, india, russia, and china

with new york in front and jersey behind them

like robert frost, I take the path less traveled--

world trade center bound

the familiar sound

"stand clear of the closing doors please"

I sneeze

the lady nearby closes her eyes,

exchange place arrives and I switch to hoboken

the journey is almost complete

now that I found an open seat.