I watch humanity passing by
A parade of colors, textures and smells.

Bald heads, well-coifed heads
Wrinkled clothes, perfect seams
Sleepy eyes, smiling eyes.

The good, the bad, the ugly
All find their way to my platform
Just as I sleepily make my way
Up the non-functioning elevator.

The kid with the earphones
Whose music is so loud
I can hear it ten feet away
And I wonder how long
Before he is deaf.

The woman who just can’t wait
To drink her coffee
Despite the signs that say
No eating or drinking.

Then, there’s the young girl
Who offers an old man her seat
Or the man who spots the tourist
Who cannot read the route map
And helps him decide which train to catch.

Every morning, I ride along with
This parade of humanityAgainst

Image by The U.S. National Archives via Flickr

Each morning on the subway train