The Poetry Snapshot: Community

To your left,
a man with a briefcase
and slicked back hair.

His face is motionless,
as though captured in a photograph.
He keeps his head tucked down
and is lost in regret.

To your right,
a mother with a small child,
crying for care.

The mother’s eyes blink in exhaustion,
but the child commands her full attention.
Still, the mother carries unconditional love and gratitude,
for finally being able to hold a child of her own.

All of you cross the street
without acknowledging each other;
without realizing how different
your paths have been.

But somehow,
right now,
you all cross the street.
For the next ten seconds,
you will share your lives together.
And then,
you will never see them again.

What a magical effort of time,
to bring together people
in such small ways.