Like a diurnal tide the Manhattan commuters
Charging across streets and avenues in the morning
Charging back again in the evening walking fast paced
Turn the sidewalks and crossings into one way flows.
You enjoy joining this short hurried race
Feeling the mass energy as you stride in step
A few minutes of exercise before sitting all day
Enclosed in your office cubicle in that steel and glass tower.
I enjoy the trip now and then but it’s more casual for me.
I go to my office just twice a month
Working from home other days.
I witness this daily migration as a spectator.
Last night you told of the shared office stories
Each person recounting how they navigate the streets
Jogging across intersections as the light is about to change
Running a personal race against the clock and everyone else.
It’s fun and exciting being part of the throng
The double time marchers shouldering past
The gawking tourists jostled to the side.
Twice a day the midtown streets belong to you.
The bus terminal finish line buzzes with racers arriving.
So many buses, so many lines, so many departures,
You marvel at the organization. And if there’s a delay
You marvel at how the people self organize their lines.
All these individual lives threaded together by the commute
Riding the bus has its unspoken rules you were quick to learn
A social activity that’s about moving many people quickly
While I telecommute and write this for you staying home alone.
