An Act of Kindness

Wandering blindly down roads of slush and slurry,

More than usual, my boots keep pace with my mind’s racing hurry.

Neon distractions line the coasts, east and west,

My hands grip themselves in my jacket, my body eager to rest.

A strong gust is all it takes to summon curses from the depth

Of my indiscriminating fury towards my now freezing breath.

Unbothered by the city’s endless sea of trash and litter,

I am focused on how my home has become unforgivingly bitter.

I pray to a god that I have never believed in,

that the train I must take won’t make me wait at its station.

Down the stairs my brittle bones take me ever so steadily,

While I hear the subway doors slam open quite heavily.

My heart is racing as the turnstile gives me trouble.

I notice a New Yorker holding the door, an act of kindness, however subtle.