It Ain’t Mine Neither

The ugliest thing
happened on the L today –

A woman was yelling in my train car

Anyone ya’ll spare a quarter?
Been robbed.

And everyone pulled smiles in at their sides or
shifted through their bags or brushed at their hair. Silence,
but everyone looked.

My mother was killed,
up on 95th…

A train car frozen in empty clang,
punctuated by the sound of a few coins in a cup.

I’ll pick pocket in here!

She got angry.

I been robbed, it ain’t your fault, but
it ain’t mine neither!

Now, everyone is thinking they would give her a dollar,
that they would give her everything, but it’s too late –

Now would be only for a lie

I been homeless, it ain’t your fault, but
it ain't mine neither!

And she hurried out the door between cars,
taking all of the pride with her.