Of All The Stories I've Written, I Share With You, Stranger, These Few

A Couple on The Subway

There was a couple on the subway.
Earbuds stretched between them.
He was resting his head on her shoulder
as she watched the concrete tunnel slide by.
They only talked when the train stopped,
and even then
it was only a few words.
"Three more stops."
And then they would resume their silence.
"Two more stops."
She had a backpack,
pins and assorted knick-knacks
hanging from the zippers.
"One more stop."
He had a suitcase under his legs,
stickers tattooing the hard plastic.
They looks so young, no older than twenty.
"This is us."
As the subway screeched to a halt, they stood
and even from where I was sitting, I could see tears began to fall from their eyes.
She took his hand and he followed her off.
They would not be seeing each other
for a very long time.
Earbuds stretched between them.
They couple left the subway.