Today, on the subway, there was a pale, elderly woman, with a white scarf wrapped around her white hair, her white skin lighter than the soft cream of her coat.
And next to her was a man with skin as dark as the night sky, his young face smooth and darker than his black coat. I have never seen skin so darkly, so beautifully, black.
They were strangers. They took no notice of each other.
But I noticed them, and together, they were beautiful. What I love about New York - about New York in 2008, as opposed to 1958 - is that sometimes difference is just ignored. They were just people on a train. Just beautiful people on a train.
hi jen,how are you?
i havent received the newsletters for a long time and it was refreshing to read ur works again (esp this one).
am going to read some of ur works now.
Posted by: ugin | April 15, 2008 at 12:45 AM
So vivid and true! My children are so color and gender blind! Now, if people could be orientation blind...
Posted by: Star | August 04, 2008 at 06:59 PM
Hello Jennifer!
Andrew, with whom you had breakfast with in Chicago some years ago, gave me an entire folder full of newspaper clippings he's saved. I read (most) of them on the bus home but had to catch some shut eye before heading straight to work.
None the less, watching people on the subway has always been one of my favorite past-times.
I see you're heading back to Chicago this year so I'll look for you when I'm there.
Posted by: Jeff Johnson | March 10, 2009 at 01:20 PM
Orientation blind would just make things complete.
Posted by: Ajlouny | June 17, 2009 at 09:39 PM