Blue Trains

Lately I have spent a lot of time on trains and buses. Sometimes I read, but other times I just people watch. It is so interesting.

People have certain ways they expect other people to act on the train. Headphones are common, though not a requirement. You can sit next to them if there are no double seats open, but as soon as two seats are available, they would like you to move to that empty bench so they can have both seats. Eye contact is looked down upon, or at least quickly averted. They don't want you looking at them. Or at least not to make it obvious.

I'm such a people watcher. I love it. There are little things that you can pick up that can tell a whole story about a person. That's where this poem came from this afternoon.

I went to the Museum of Science and Industry today on my day off, so I was taking public transit across town alone. I read on the train, but decided not to on the bus since I was unfamiliar with the stops and didn't want to miss mine. This guy wearing a blue shirt got on, put away his bus pass, and got out a yellow folder with "Greek" written across the front of it. He got off at a college campus and I went to the museum.

After wandering around the museum, I got back on the bus, and after a few stops, so did he. I wrote this poem on the train, which we both transferred to. I felt slightly creepy, but I try to remind myself that authors often do this kind of thing. Or at least that's what I'm telling myself.

Blue Trains

I am intrigued by the boy in blue

Who rides the train to school

And studies Greek on the bus.

He tunes out the world,

His ears enveloped by his own sounds,

While mine stay open to hear his sighs.

I am intrigued by his open Bible,

Not because I don’t have one of my own,

But because he is reading his.

This boy doesn’t notice me,

Or my Star Wars t-shirt,

Or at least he doesn’t make it obvious.

And I can’t help but think

We missed out on a good conversation.

A talk that started with Star Wars

And maybe ended with God,

Because the two topics easily

Run from one to another.

But instead after he was done with class

And I finished wandering

Aimlessly through the science museum,

We got on different train cars.

Living in the same city

But having no connection

Other than the CTA

And my intrigue of the boy in blue.

Until next time.