After Blackburn

The Hispanic girl

                             in the short skirt

sits in the subway car

                                  covers up
as best she can

                                  from the

peering eyes of 
a young punk

old men

young men

envious married women
and me

I count her attributes

dark thighs,                perky breasts


I had already assessed her derrière as ample

                            before she sat down


just now with a glance
             she has tried to sacrifice her own race,

we come out of the tunnel
                                  
                                 into Brooklyn Heights,

have I missed my stop
         
                   I say to myself 
loud enough for her to hear,

the young punk glares at me
                  not realizing we are equals