an hour a day i glare at myself reflected in the subway glass. I am menacing, now sincere, now sly, now kind, i study myself intently and i know i see nothing.
i move like an imperiled dancer, smooth and flowing, yet my sense of balance flawed. I misjudge openings, forgetting to allow for limbs, shoulders; when calculating width, i omit to factor myself into the space i inhabit.
the man across from me sits calmly in a taut gray gabardine suit whispering to himself. After a time he closes his eyes and rocks his head back, a faint smile on his lips, tasting something of the divine.
the glass is tinted darker and so it is ghostly that i gaze, thinking penumbra suits contemplation, the eyes the only thing remaining unchanged.
wolves in sheep’s clothing,
people on the train,
everyone knows you’re not one of the pack.
Comments for “on moving (lateral displacement)” :
That brings back memories of living in London and getting the tube. I used to love sitting staring out of the window as the train slithered it’s way between the stations.
helena | Homepage | 09 02 2007 at 7:48 am
a subway system is such a strange beast. so different from city to city. the one in Vienna is clean and futuristic, as is the one in DC, but the old ones in Paris & nyc are pretty intense. I’ve only taken the London tube a few times and so do not remember it well. Which genus is it? Tubus Horribilis?
bering | Homepage | 09 02 2007 at 9:58 am
Only at rush hour in high summer. The new stations are pretty clinical and scary, long white echoey corridors; the old stations still have a “we survived the blitz you know” vibe about them.
helena | Homepage | 10 02 2007 at 7:09 am
Update please if you can. I need something new to read!
helena | Homepage | 01 03 2007 at 4:57 pm
as soon as something worthwhile pops up (ie not related to documenting cyclothymia), i promise i will.
if you need some kick-ass reading material, i can recommend All Men Are Mortal by Simone de Beauvoir, its title does not do it justice, and the Last days of Judas Iscariot, which is a play by one Stephen Adly Guirgis. They both sound snooty but actually, they’re brilliant. And the play is hilarious.
bering | Homepage | 02 03 2007 at 10:30 am
Amazoning them even as I type. I’m so desperate for new stuff to read I’m rereading stuff I almost know by heart.
helena | Homepage | 03 03 2007 at 6:41 pm
that said, i don’t know if the English version of the Simone de Beauvoir book is any good. Let me know.
bering | Homepage | 06 03 2007 at 6:54 am
Well I won;t know if it’s better than the french version! But I’ll tell you anyway.
helena | Homepage | 07 03 2007 at 6:50 am