empty seat beside you
Olympus OM-1 camera in my
shaky hands
bus bruising over potholed streets
I stood
and saw what I wanted but wasn’t sure
whether to just take or to ask
for your photograph
young black beautiful bus rider flower holder
yellow rose bouquet
bought for some occasion or
just because
it was a Friday
November’s dusk tilting past urban-sunset
bus interior lights still unlit
heading home talking to no strangers
staring out a dark window
your reflection
blossoming in the glass
flowers nestled on your lap
my b&w photograph
not snapped
the bus stopped
at your stop . . .
you got up and flew off
into a crowd

Anthony Policano is an Italian American poet and photographer. His writing is inspired by music, romance,  good coffee, bad dreams, art, religion, surrealism, travel, la famiglia, his upbringing, his conscience and what comes next.