Sharp whistle shrieks
between stops
from December Street to Jan Way—
Two, four, eight
eye to eye,
face to face
on a one-way train—
thu-thud
THU-Thud!
THU-THUD!!!
On track to a transitional pause,
doors seal all into a lit tube
engulfed by black
for an extended enough time
to get attached—
to feel connection
while speeding spark-lit rails
to a next destination—
THU-THUD!!!
THU-THUD!!!
THU-THUD!!!
JOLT!
Meeting eyes break
with a whiplash
at a platform where all migrate
on, off the train.
Last looks,
farewells, goodbyes,
wonders—
if any meet again face to face
on surface,
in train, someday,
while simultaneously swapping each out
for a fresh gaze—
THU-THUD!!!
THU-Thud!
Thu-thud
thu—
thud.
Poet’s Bio: Born and raised in Los Angeles, Michael Roque discovered his love for poetry and prose amid friends on the bleachers of Pasadena City College. His poems have been published by literary magazines like Cholla Needles, The New Yorker, The Literary Hatchet and others.