By
Aetre
A man drives his
car through the city
Sips his coffee
and waits for a green light
Listens to a
radio morning show
Thinks about
what he will say at a meeting
Wishes for a
better salary
A woman rides in
the subway below him
Takes a seat and
folds her arms
Yawns and shakes
off a light hangover
Thinks about
what she will do this weekend
Wishes for a
vacation
A boy walks on
the sidewalk a block over
Takes the long
way to elementary school
Looks both ways
before crossing the street
Thinks he can
leave this city if he stays in school
Wishes not to
turn into his brother
A teenager walks
through a nearby high school’s hall
Talks with two
of her friends
Comments on how
that last history test sucked
Thinks she will
never use what she has learned
Wishes for a
date to the prom
An old man sits
on a bench outside
Watches the
sunrise through the city’s haze
Thinks about his
grandchildren, twins born yesterday
Holds a hand to
his heart and sighs
Wishes he had
more time