Ride In the Subway

Drove for thirty minutes to Subway Station, Took a train for forty minutes, Got into another for only ten minutes, reached Queen's Park. Mornings are hectic, found a seat beside the window, looked at all the faces around. It was an university-bound train, many young faces, fashionable jeans, wearing T-shirts with interesting quotes - from " life's a garden/dig it" to "Life is short/Talk Fast"! Some other people heading to downtown work-places; their faces were grim! were they having a fight with their bosses? And contemplating whether it was time to quit that job! Carried a book about art history to read. She really should have read the book before visiting Louvre five years ago! How many people read art history in the subway? She did, and enjoyed immensely, in between looking at all the faces she had never met before, and probably would never meet! This happened for twenty-five days! Twenty-five days of her life she took a subway, and headed to a hospital where they treat cancer-patients! Read an art-history book in the subway, and slogged to the hospital imagining some day joining the universities around! October 13, 2022 For 'Chapter 1" Poetry Contest Sponsor: Matt Caliri Excerpt from my poem "Ride In The Subway For Twenty-Five Days"