When he first got on the train he stared forward and toward the door, his eyes bugging out slightly, as though he was ready to make a break for it at any moment. His head is shiny bald and his feet are encased in warm brown, leather loafers with those laces that look like they…
Category: Subway Inspirations
People watching on the subway
It’s Not a Dining Car
The person next to me, got on the train, plunked down in the seat two away from me and started eating Dunkin Donuts’ hash browns, releasing a nauseating odor of grease and potatoes onto what had been a neutral and rather pleasant smelling commute. When they were done with the hash browns they balled up…
Fishnets and Sunglasses
Fishnets and sunglasses almost make me think it’s summer and not the middle of winter. Her nails are deep red and just starting to grow in if the small crescents of bare nail near her cuticles are any indicator. Her boots, jacket, and backpack are black leather. Dark grey socks peek up over the top…
Silver Hairs
Silver hairs curl up around his dark brown cornrows that are shot through with silver as well. A black earwarmer headband covers just the tops of his ears. The young child next to him offers him a bite of her breakfast sandwich and he accepts. Black beads from the bottoms of his cornrows lay lightly…
True, Blue, Miniature New Yorker
He’s a true, blue, miniature New Yorker. Tucked inside his coat’s hood is is a Captain America sweatshirt hood with a big white A in the middle of its forehead and the wings on either side. It has eye-holes in it so I can only assume that when it is pulled up he becomes a…
Faded Jacket
Converse-esque shoes, non-descript blue jeans and a black messenger bag between his legs. A green Henley that is buttoned all the way up except for the top button. A black jacket that looks like it could be Carhart from how durable it appears. The black is fading to white along the seams and it can…
Corduroy Pants
Puke brown corduroy pants that make my stomach churn with the memory of the feeling and sound of two corduroy-encased thighs rubbing against each other. Red sneaker-shoes with thin grey socks bridging the gap between the shoes and pants. He is wearing a fawn colored newspaper boy-esque cap with black, rectangular, thick, plastic rimmed glasses….
To the Woman at Columbus Circle
To the Woman at Columbus Circle: I hope you made it home safe. I am sorry that you had to deal with being harassed on top of what was probably an already long day. I hope that you were able to fall asleep and that you didn’t have too much anxiety. You do live in…
Gold Studs
She has round gold studs in her ears that remind me of my first pair of earrings. They are the kind of studs they put through your earlobe with the gun at Claire’s while you’re sitting in a window, holding a stuffed animal and crying. She is wearing dark blue converse and and blue jeans….
Some Days
Some days you wake up and get on the subway already angry with the world. You are tired from a long week/weekend/day/night so you get on and you are already done with everyone around you. You look at a rabbi sitting down reading the Torah, flanked by a black woman and a hispanic woman and…
Police Report
Sometimes a subway commute is not just observation. Sometimes you have to step in and say something. Let not any one pacify his conscience by the delusion that he can do no harm if he takes no part, and forms no opinion. Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men…
Photo Booth Technician
The man next to me looks like the photo booth technician from Amélie and he is watching Mr. Robot on his tablet – season one episode two. He has a bandaid on the middle knuckle of his middle finger on his left hand. He is not wearing the bright red converse of the movie character, but…
Little Gentian 