[wrote this at a train station,Cape Town South Africa]
Sweaty thighs,
Sweaty bodies.
The sun slowly
waved goodbye.
the night
he sent his refreshing
wind to say hi.
this conversation,
I listened to
every day,every time.
it was as interesting
as the woman I sat beside.
She wore tiredness like a coat,
in a way it must have protected
the cargo she carried in her lower torso.
fresh bruises,
certain from the night before
enhanced the recognizable features
on her face.
I watched her,
followed her distant gaze.
Hunger and guilt
lived in his eyes.
it was a young boy,
he wore rags.
he sat way too close
to that old mans bag
i know these things
my home was once the streets too
he walked forward,
straight up to me.
Reached out his arm
a tuna sandwich in his palm
he split it in half
"for you
and this for me".
The bread
was hard and chewy
"i have juice,
a sip for you
and a sip for me".
He said his name was Liam
in close contact
he smelled like urine.
"I've never seen you,
are you new here?"
here I was thinking
I've met a decent human.
5 Rand was all he asked for,
"just for a smoke"
And I went back home with no wallet
oh what a joke.