2/3 train, 96th Street to Clark Street, April 29th, 2015
There was a tiny free space. I thought better of it, then I squeezed in and apologized to my neighbor. He gave a very friendly “no problem,” so I asked him after a few stops. He would not write it himself. I volunteered. He would not let me take his picture. He told me many times, “This is top-secret; it will soon be announced; it is a matter of national security safety.” He told me, “I’m a seer. Once announced people will go crazy. They will go straight to the supermarket until there are food shortages. This is very serious. This summer it will be like you’ve never imagined. Tidal waves and earthquakes. The feds – they moved from here to Chicago.”
How many riders live in fear of end-of-life scenarios? What is the boundary between paranoia and justified fear for the future of humankind?
This poem is about an asteroid
that is due to arrive this summer
and we as human beings, our lives matters
and we have the right to know
the time of the arrival
and our lives and our society will forever change
due to the coming of this asteroid