Laure-Anne Bosselaar: Bus Stop

Stubborn sleet. Traffic stuck on Sixth.

We cram the shelter, soaked, strain

to see the bus, except for a man next to me,

dialing his cell-phone. He hunches,

pulls his parka’s collar over it, talks slow and low:

It’s daddy, hon. You do? Me too. Ask mom

if I can come see you now. Oh, okay,

Sunday then. Bye. Me too baby. Me too.

He snaps the phone shut, cradles it to his cheek,

holds it there. Dusk stains the sleet, minutes

slush by. When we board the bus,

that phone is still pressed to his cheek.

—

From A New Hunger by Laure-Anne Bosselaar, published by Ausable Press, copyright 2007 Laure-Anne Bosselaar. Reprinted by permission of the author.