The Man on the Train


by Allison Leigh

The man with the diamonds in his hair

waits for me to board the train. I board the train.

He boards the train. The man with the diamonds in his hair

is impossibly clean. I think he means business,

whatever that means. I think that means money. I don't want

to know what that means. The man with the diamonds in his hair

watches me with ease. It surprises me, inspires me

because I'm the type to go so small and tangled just looking

at somebody's feet. But he watches me gently. Slowly, calmly.

He watches me like I'm a music video for the sad song

of the week. The truth is I'm busy sitting here. And I don't care

what he wants from me. But I get to learn why he gets it.