People say
Maybe you shouldn’t
use the train.
Others say
it’s fine.
Detailed safety advice
is given.
On the train
amongst ordinary people
the perceived atmosphere
of fear and suspicion
the sea of stern faces
seems impenetrable
until it is shattered
by a simple smile
offered
and returned.
The walls come tumbling down
and I feel safe.
Who would have thought it’d be
such a powerful demolition weapon.
To initiate the exchange
can take a little courage
can seem a risk
but the reward of the inevitable response
far out-weighs the cost.
Cameos of humanity:
old ladies chattering
wearing woolen hats despite the heat,
a man with two small children squirming,
someone casually flicking through a paper,
a teenage girl playing music,
a man with a crutch and a red Liverpool cap.
For each, a smile is all it takes
to connect humanity to humanity.
I like taking the train
with the beautiful people of Cape Town
none of them ordinary
each of them precious.
Photo credit: Rudi Novem
— All poems and original writing on this blog are Copyright © Hilary Murdoch 2012
