On the subway to the stop at Brooklyn Bridge,
the car slips through perpetual night
while a grinning man
gawps at me,
his tongue exploring the spaces
between his teeth;

How I wish for a crowded train
so that I could hide,
or that I had the courage
to offer him my socks,
a meal,
a toothbrush;

He heaves himself forward on the seat
as if he’s about to make a speech
or ask my name,
My eyes disappear down
his throat
as we’re swallowed under Manhattan.

Sandy Green is a poet and children’s author. The Tide Changers (Penumbra Publishing, 2011) is her debut middle grade book. Click here to visit her website and her blog.