lost in line

the line stretched before him
endless in its eternal struggle
to move forward
he had read
all of the posters upon the
faded walls
stop the spread of sdi’s
student aide here
join a fraternity
nothing of interest
for someone far removed from
the nervous post
high school years
he tried to read from the paperback
he had brought along
nothing to write home about
some escapist fiction
to pass the time
the murmur of voices
though
kept him from escaping
into the pages
he found himself
rereading lines that in hindsight
may have not been worth
reading the first
time around
the line moves
no more than a step
or two
he strains to hear
what the hold up is
why bother he thinks
it is just more of the same
thoughtless people
with incomplete paperwork
expecting a minimum wage clerk
to walk on water for them
to answer questions which
should have been posed
in another line
or another day
looking around
he notices a couple in front of him
oblivious to the line
or the world around them
her eyes light up at his touch
she listens intently to each word
she laughs
she kisses him softly on the lips
chastely
a kiss of love
and it hits him then
will a woman ever again
look at him
the way she is looking
at her man