i'm standing at the top of a staircase
concrete
winding to the right
subway station
iron grinding upon iron
feet shuffling
mindless chatter
muffled intercom
i'm wearing white pants
white shirt
pen in hand
tired
alone
no bag
no coat
no wallet
walking down the stairs
someone shouting
don't step on the third step
so i don't
skipped it
reached the bottom
two men
dressed in three-piece suits
one White
one Black
young
smooth faces
freshly groomed
smiling at me
telling me to walk forward
so i do
subway terminal exit
main street
circular street
geometrically circular street
woman waiting
olive-skinned
white dress
long hair fluttering around her
pretty face
elegant neck
long arms
no legs
no feet
smiles at me
telling me to follow her
so i do
touring circle city
library
hospital
school
office buildings
grocery store
mechanic
cleaners
post office
she doesn't speak
just points
so i look
people
Hispanic
Black
Asian
White
everything in between
young
old
all ages in between
wheelchairs
able-bodied
skipping
walking
busyness
bus going around
stopping
going
stopping
cars on the street
switching
parking
pulling out of parking
sun warm and bright
clean air
fresh
quiet chaos
she guides me to a park
green spaces
shady trees
bird fountains
angel sculptures
stone benches
she tells me to sit down
so i do
now she says
what kind of husband do you want
i look around
i shrug my shoulders
i don't care i tell her
just as long as he doesn't come before Him
she smiles
eyes twinkling
nods her head
like i gave the correct answer
like i passed the test
she gives me something
presses it in my hand
i look down
a subway ticket
actually a subway pass
i look up
she's gone
circle city is gone
evaporating into nothingness
like it was never there
YOU ARE READING
Saved By the Blood
ŞiirA mix of Christian and secular insightful poetry written by a high school believer between 1990 -1994.
