No Such Thing As Karma
On The F Train To Queens
Or Anywhere Else
When the tall thin black kid
with the skateboard steps back
to give me the open subway seat,
I make eye contact, nod thanks
and never think it has anything
to do with my nearly forty years
commuting between Brooklyn
and Queens, offering the last
empty seat to women or older
guys before planting my ass in it.
He was being nice and thoughtful
thinking it was the right thing to do
and maybe like me back then
wondering what everyone might
think of him if he didn’t smile, step
aside, while hoping I’d shake my head,
say no thanks, I get off at the next
stop, instead of sitting down, strapping
headphones on and mouthing words
to a song he would never listen to.
Tony Gloeggler is a life-long resident of NYC who managed group homes. Poems have recently appeared in Rattle, Vox Populi, Thimble. His collection, What Kind Of Man ,with NYQ Books was a finalist for the 2021 Paterson Poetry Prize and his new book Here On Earth came out 1/26 with NYQ Books.
