OVERLAPPING LIVES

April heads downtown

with James

to stuff envelopes for a GMHC mailing.

This time, I don’t ask to join,

just tell her I’m coming, bring Dylan.

On a crowded 9 train,

we hang on to silver poles,

where so many fingerprints

have already left their mark.

Think about how many places

these people are going,

wonder how many to the

same street,

same building,

how many lives

are constantly overlapping.

Wonder if flutters of hope

(like mine)

can pass

from person to person

without so much

as a touch or

glance.