stalking? you be the judge

good morning 
happy monday 
for me
 its going to be a short week
 I fly off 
on 
Wednesday 
to 
Santa Fe
 dont you wish you were me

 meanwhile 
its going to be a 
very busy 
2 days here at the office 
getting things tied up
 in 
neat knots
 hoping
 none 
unravel
 while I am photo hunting 

last week
 I 
'ran into' 
a fellow commuter 
 I dont know him
 but 
have seen him 
several times
several mornings
 waiting for the subway
 in the same spot
 I do 
we native New Yawkers
 who subway it 
(I do believe thats a transitory verb)
know
 just where to stand 
just where the doors open
 which car to ride in 
so you can walk off
 head out
 closest to where you need 
to 
end up

Times Square
 is my stop
the last car 
on the downtown train
 lets one out 
steps away 
from the steps 
up and out
 of the subway

 disgression again!

I stand in the same spot every morning
as does every other rider
 its sort of
 in our genes

 this man dresses casually 
he's trim
 but
 he sweats 
I know this because 
he carries in his back pocket 
a sort of 'nudgy'
 a Linus' blankie
 okay 
a small square piece of towel 
moping his balding head 
many times 
he also 
doesnt hold on 
when he's inside the train
 so when the train speeds up
 or
 takes a turn
 he often is thrown off balance
 falling
into 
whoever
 is nearby
 apologizing
 as he tries to regain
 what
 I call
 'subway stance'
 a way of standing
 balanced
 legs spread 
just the right amount apart 
to keep you on keel 
while still holding on 
just in case 

do I sound like a stalker?  
actually
 he fascinates me 
ever since
 I saw him chatting 
with 
a very well dressed woman
 while 
waiting for the train
 they both got on
 they'd been talking
 well
 he'd been talking 
she didnt seem to have much to say 
when we got to 72nd Street 
she told him she was getting off
 taking the express
 they said ta ta
her relief was evident 
at least to me

we got to Times Square
 and
 in that way
 that is so 
New York
 as our local pulled in
 so 
did the express
 she stepped off the express
 just as he stepped off the local 
I know 
I was right behind him

 Hey 
he said

 I must tell you
 her
 expression
 was
 not
 oh good I missed you
 it was
 oy he's back 

and
 yet
 they both walked off 
to the shuttle
 together 

making me 
wonder
 again
 how they come to know one another