I look at it differently today.
Then, I was disappointed,
maybe hurt, although
I didn’t admit that to myself.

After dark, at the uptown Ninety Sixth Street red line,
I was waiting for the One train
with a lot of other folks.
I thought I recognized one from high school.

She wasn’t someone I knew,
but someone I had seen in school productions,
one of the stars of musical theater,
a year older than me.
I was pretty sure it was her.

I went up to introduce myself.
“Excuse me…” I said, and she moved out of my way,
but her body language was entirely closed off.
She was not going to have any conversation with me.

I don’t know how I was so sure
not to further approach her.
I just slunk away
and waited for the train
at a distance.

From a more modern lens,
it makes all the sense in the world
to give a woman her space
if she shows any sign of not wanting a stranger’s attention.
She had no idea that we might have known each other.
Point of fact, we didn’t know each other.
I thought her name was Seka,
but I wasn’t sure of it then
and I’m not sure of it now.