Public Surfaces

Nov. 10, 2012

Public Surfaces

I am not a sanitizer.

I don't fear rails or handles,
     worn down posts,
          tarnished brass,
               peeling paint or chalked up windows.
Germs may propagate,
     swarm across the surface,
But these things are landmarks,
     Monuments of our day to day.
The broken balustrades,
      The knobs gripped by thousands,
The shaky desktop
     bears the hands
         of souls departed,
               from yesterday to long ago,
And with every touch
     I leave my mark by theirs.

Lean into your seat on the train,
     Feel the millions marching to work
          to feed the family,
                to earn the chance to rest.
I don't feel filth.
I feel a handshake
     from the past,
Warming my palm
     and helping me along.